


Something's not quite right in Hope County

by SoftandScared



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Before all the Drama(tm), Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hate to Love, Mild Gore, Pre-cult, Sarcastic Main Character that is not subscribing the Eden's Gate, Self-Indulgent, Sexual Tension, Slight Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Slow Plot Build-Up, The Seeds doing Horribly Mundane Things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-05-04 08:43:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14589285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoftandScared/pseuds/SoftandScared
Summary: After her father passed, Juli Jackson moved back to Hope County to settle down on her family's property. Living there was quaint, but felt free and relatively normal.Until the Seeds moved into town, at least.Instantly enamored by the brothers, Hope County community takes the middle sibling's word as gospel and let him run the Church. While Juli doesn't believe it for a second, she can't help but feel like there's something hiding behind the Seed siblings' words. Their true intentions aren't clear and they're too good to be true.





	1. Persistent Father

**Author's Note:**

> This is a me-fic that I decided I'd post to the world. The chapters will likely vary in length and be updated sporadically, but Far Cry 5 is my current muse and I can't NOT write something for it! 
> 
> This takes place before the game when the Seed family first start planting their feet in Hope. Most of this is a personal interpretation, of course. I'll be going off canon and weaving my own personal thoughts and takes on what happened, but I hope you guys enjoy the ride! c: 
> 
> (This is in the works, so I'll likely add tags and change the rating as things develop in the story!)

Juli hated Sundays. Every store in Hope County closed at the ass crack of the morning since the Seed family rolled into town. “Can’t miss Father Joseph’s sermon.” Old Bonnie chirped excitedly to her like she was off to win the lottery. The younger woman could only glare in disdain as she was subjected to the other’s excited ramblings. A simple check-out felt like it took eighty years. “Sundays are such a sacred day since he’s come around.. Church hasn’t been the same since, but I say good riddance to what we had before. Father Joseph is so inspiring when he preaches..”

There was a point where Juli simply started to block it all out. Father Joseph, this, and John, that. Jacob came up rarely, but even that was more than what she wanted to hear. It was bad enough that Juli nearly had a daily catalog of the Seed's lives from the locals, but on Sunday it was a near constant stream. The full 24 hours. Might as well call it Seed-day around these parts. 

Living in a remote, mountain town had its benefits, but, surprisingly, privacy and avoiding social contact wasn’t one of them.  Just about everyone in Hope knew each other’s names and their routines all the way down to when they ate dinner. Normally, no one was particularly interesting enough for anyone to share among themselves too much, but the Seeds seemed to change that. Everyone cared about what  _ they _ were doing every fucking minute. 

“Thanks,” Juli said dryly when the older woman finally handed over her purchased items. She was sick of hearing about those obnoxious brothers, but she couldn’t be terribly rude to the other locals. Just passive-aggressive. “Enjoy your weekly religious droning, Bonnie.”  
  
“Aren’t you going to join us one day, Jules? You haven’t come to Church once since you came back. Father Joseph really does make it interesting, you know.” Bonnie’s voice carried as it followed the brunette to the door like some gently nagging grandmother. Hugging the paper bag to her chest, Juli kicked open the front door with her worn boots.

“Not in your lifetime, Ms,” Juli replied curtly back to the older woman before stepping out into the warm morning sun. 

It still sat high in the bright blue sky, barely ten in the morning when everyone started to turn in for Church. It was a wonder there was any room in that old, rickety building. Practically everyone in Hope went on Sunday. Every pew had to be crammed full of people. 

The Seeds had brought something new and shiny to the monotonous life out in the boonies. It was only natural that everyone and their mother would flock to them. It was a change and some would say that change was good…  Juli could beg to differ.

Her stride was slow and leisurely as she made her way back to her truck. Just as she was nearing it, something caught her attention just out of the corner of her eye. Well, if it wasn’t the man of the hour himself.

Joseph stood as the usual beacon of politeness, shaking hands with some excited looking Church-goers. Juli’s pace immediately picked up when she saw the man, hoping not to draw any attention before she reached her truck. Unfortunately, she failed. Miserably.

“Good morning, Juli.” Joseph greeted her in that serene tone of his, leaving the couple to approach the woman before she could make her escape. Everyone just had to know each other’s fucking names in this county and Joseph Seed just  _ had _ to be outside the Church that day.

Juli stopped with an obvious groan, turning unhappily to face the other as he approached. He didn’t seem to pay her disgruntled demeanor any mind as he stopped in front of her. The man was dressed in his Sunday best, a book- likely a  _ bible _ \- tucked under his arm as he held himself with that usual grace. The kind that seemed to make nearly every single, lonely woman swoon and swear they were religious just to hear him ramble on for hours.

“Mornin’ Joseph,” Juli responded the barest of politeness to her tone. Her face held an expression that could only  _ begin _ to show her displeasure. Joseph’s face turned into a soft frown, brows furrowing behind his yellow lenses. Not because of her expression, of course.  
  
“It’s Father Joseph.” He reminded her lightly.

“Then it’s Jackson to you.” She shot right back at him, not missing a beat. Her own tone barely holding back the mild hostility to her words.

Joseph seemed to take her aggressive response in stride. Nothing really seemed to ruffle that guy’s feathers. “Very well. Will you be joining us this morning, Miss Jackson?” The older man asked her. His voice hardly shifting from that calmness and Juli wasn’t sure if she hated the lack of response more than a negative one.

“My answer is the same as last weekend’s. And the weekend before that. And the weekend before  _ that _ . Did you forget it?” Juli sounded nearly condescending as she answered the age-old question. She was just about as sick of hearing it as she was about people squawking about the Seeds. “It’s no. It’s always no. I can give you an invoice that says it’ll still be no next week too. Want me to mail it to your personal address? Or should I send it to the Church?”

“It only takes a moment of your time, Miss Jackson. The experience is enlightening and it’ll bring you closer to your community. What could you possibly be doing every Sunday that’s more important than that?” Joseph tutted like he was some disapproving parent. Juli shifted her weight from one foot to another and pretended to consider her options a moment before she answered. “Literally anything else.” She replied with a chipper bluntness.

That same frown pressed over the older man’s face again. It was practically the physical embodiment of the ‘I’m not mad at you- Just disappointed’ response. Unlike his siblings, he had that passive gentleness about him. It easily made him the least intimidating out of the men in Juli’s opinion. John was almost too easy to frustrate and Jacob’s mere presence was extremely imposing. Out of the three, Joseph was the easiest to push way. Although, he did have persistence going for him. 

“You haven’t sat in on a single sermon. Surely one wouldn’t-” Joseph’s holier than thou tone began seeping into his voice as he near scolded her. Juli cut it down before he could properly get on his high horse. She'd be there for hours if he did and that in itself was likely worse than Church.  
  
“Look, Father, I moved here just a tick before you and your brothers did. I haven’t been sittin’ on my ass waitin’ for the next big thing to hit Hope county like all the deep-set locals. They don’t have any better way to spend their time. I do.” The young woman explained with confidence, finally making her way to her truck. “ So, I can assure you, that even sittin’ in  _ once _ ain’t gonna change my mind. As lovely as your sermons apparently are.” 

Juli placed her paper bag in the passenger seat and flashed the other a grin as she kicked the door close. It was a snarky grin. One you’d have when you were real proud of yourself. Joseph looked at her impassively. Although, it looked like something was working its way up behind that disappointed frown. He didn’t express it openly. 

“You won’t miss having one person in your church. I’m sure it’s already filled to burst with the turnout you get.” Juli said as she climbed into the driver’s seat, giving just about the friendliest wave she would probably ever give the man. “Happy Mass!”

Joseph stayed rooted in his spot well after the brunette took off. His face still furrowed in displeasure as he watched her go.  However, this time, it almost had a harder edge to it. Was it anger? Perhaps a bit of frustration for once? Juli didn’t know. She wouldn’t have been able to place it any better in her rearview mirror than she would have if she was right in front of him.

“Is that finally going to get you off my ass?” She muttered under her breath, eyes flicking to linger on the other until he was too far away to pinpoint in the mirror.  As much as she hoped, she doubted the man would give up so easily on her.


	2. Comfort in a Rifle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added more tags! I hope people actually find my terrible tags helpful lol 
> 
> I also changed the rating to (T)een. Nothing particularly bad has happened yet, but Juli swears like a sailor so that probably warrants a rating around there.

The familiarity of her father's property never failed to ease the tension in her shoulders. Juli didn’t change a single thing in the house when she moved in and settled down. All of her father’s things were left mostly untouched, sitting right where he placed them last. 

In fact, the young woman nearly felt guilty about moving things around in the guest room and living room to accommodate her own belongings. It was like she was living in an untouched time capsule of her childhood. When she was feeling particularly upbeat, she’d pack things away and store them in the attic, but it was always too hard to tuck more than one thing away at a time. 

Juli breathed out a sigh that had been caught in her chest once she was amidst her comforts. The radio that she had left on was still playing low country tunes on the mantle. She flicked it off as she headed into the kitchen. 

Her worn out, dirty boots were kicked back towards the front door when she reached the threshold. Juli made a b-line over to the fridge. Some milk, bread, and a case of beer. That’s all she needed when she went out to the General Store that morning. 

It was the world’s simplest grocery list and it took more than a half hour to get them. Juli fucking hated Sundays. It’d be less of hassle if she just stopped going out on Sunday altogether. 

Tossing the bread on the counter, she squared away the milk and the beer as best she could in the cluttered fridge. The brunette took a can out of the case before she closed the door, cracking it open on her bored stroll into the living room. 

Hope County hardly had anything interesting to do once you’ve lived there for a while. Most people had nothing around their house for miles, so all of the excitement happened in the denser areas of the county. 

However, there wasn’t a force on earth that was going to get her to go out into town again, so that narrowed Juli’s options further. As much as she loved her neighbors, they were among the many that went to Church on Sunday, meaning that distraction out of the question too.

Thus Juli was left in solitary exile with hardly anything to keep her busy. Media entertainment would have to do that evening, she supposed.

Turning on the T.V., she flopped onto the couch as carefully as she could with her beer in hand. There weren’t many terribly interesting channels to watch in this area. Most of them revolved around relevant topics for the people of Hope, meaning more than half of them were about some form of camping, hunting, and fishing.

Which, in all honesty, was just about as dull as watching the real thing. Despite how hard they tried to put a reality show twist on it, it always just boiled down to some redneck guy hollering about fishing rods and shit. If there was one thing the young woman missed about living in civilization, it was the variety of actually  _ interesting _ T.V. shows. 

Juli was stuck flipping through the channels until she found something that was engaging enough to keep a fraction of her attention. She lingered on a hunting channel, staying because of the memories it brought up rather than the content itself. 

Like a lot of things in Hope, it reminded her of her father. While he never took her out with him, she had seen the love he held for the sport and watched him pack up many a time to go out hunting with his friends. All of his hunting gear was still scattered around the house, reminding her lightly of the smile he’d have on his face before he’d set out.

In fact, just over the T.V. was one of his favorite rifles. The piece was mounted on the wall, practically visible from just about any room on the first floor. It was a beautiful rifle made of deep wood and shining metal, kept in pristine condition thanks to her father’s care.

It was his most prized possession and Will was likely very sad to have to hang it up. He probably had to do so when he started to get too sick to leave the house. It hasn’t moved from that spot since then and Juli knew that he didn’t want such a nice gun to become a simple mantlepiece.

“...How ‘bout we take you down for a few shots?” Juli topped off her beer, getting up from the couch to move in front of the television. She took the rifle down like it was made of glass, gingerly brushing the layer of dust off it. It smelt vaguely of her father and the outdoors, bringing a small smile to her face. “Pops wouldn’t have wanted you to sit around too long.”

The old leather strap just felt right slung over her shoulder and she hesitantly went to rummage through the hunting gear for extra ammo. Juli didn’t really know how to reload the gun, let alone shoot it. It was a good she had an afternoon to kill on her own.

And what was a better way to do so then to shoot some guns? It wasn’t like doing so wasn’t anyone else’s pastime around here. The young woman was starting to fit into the rural county ways more than she thought.

After she had set up the target from the garage, Juli fumbled around with the rifle for a bit, trying to figure out how to load it. It wasn’t immediately obvious, but she figured it out quickly enough on her own. 

In the back of her mind, she could vaguely recall her father loading it up once in the house. He had been sitting in his patchy armchair next to the couch, hands moving expertly while Juli sat with her chin on the armrest. She had been much younger then, rounder face and wide eyes full of innocent wonder.

Juli smiled happily at the memory, lifting the rifle once it was loaded. The weight was even and easy to hold, making it a pretty good gun for a first timer. Although, Juli didn’t know the first thing about aiming and shooting the damn thing. She was smart enough to not accidentally shoot herself, but she definitely had more trial and error to conquer.

The first shot that finally fired out of the rifle startled her, making Juli jump as the bullet flew off in some random direction. It didn’t come anywhere near hitting the target nor the tree it was propped on. “Jesus Christ..” She released the breath she had been holding, feeling her heart beating a bit faster from the excitement. “Alright. That’s not too bad.. Maybe try hitting the target this time, Juli.”

She lifted the rifle once more, attempting to actually aim this time instead of simply shooting. It was a lot harder than a lot of those older men on the hunting channels made it seem. The rifle fired and missed the target again. Still nowhere close.

“Damnit,” Juli muttered under her breath, straightening up to aim again. Another shot, another miss. “God-” Again. A bit closer, but not quite. “Shit.” The next one made a sharp ding as it landed into an old, rusty trash can not too far off. “Son of a-” Aimed up for another shot, finger on the trigger.

“You’re  _ terrible _ at this.”

Juli was startled so suddenly that her entire body jerked as she pulled, gun flying up as the shot disappeared into the sky. She stood still like a deer in headlights for several moments, mind blanking as her heart nearly stopped. Her entire body whipped around gun-first to face where the voice had come from. 

It sounded like it had come from right behind her ear and the young woman wasn’t too far off.

A large hand came up to stop the barrel of the gun just before it connected with the looming form behind her. It was Jacob Seed. 

“You- You- You shifty fuckin’ dick!!” Juli stumbled over her words but managed to snap once her thoughts caught up with her. She had been so taken by surprise that she was having a hard time trying to properly express rage. Her hands lifted the rifle again, using the solid object to add emphasis to her hard shove against the other’s chest. “You tryin’ to make my heart jump out of my fuckin’ throat, you ass!?”

Jacob took the shove and barely moved an inch from it. He was a solid mass of muscle that made Juli feel like she just tried to knock a tree over. His feet shifted slightly, but that was the extent of the reaction he had to the blow. His head tilted as he looked down at the brunette, barely standing more than a foot away from her. 

It was a wonder someone as massive as him managed to sneak up on her like that. Juli felt uneasy at the thought of what he could’ve done had he not given himself away, but her eyes only showed her fierce anger as they glared up at him.

“I didn’t realize you startled so easily, Jackson,” Jacob replied simply, arms shifting to cross over his broad chest where she had hit. If Juli knew him a bit better, she probably would’ve noticed the tiniest trace of a smirk on his hard features.

“Well, I hope you at least realize you’re trespassin' on my property.” Juli hissed back at the man, holding the rifle up almost like she was aiming it at him. “It’d be in your best interest to  _ leave _ if you don’t want me calling Whitehorse on you.”    
  
Jacob’s brows raise and his large hand lifted again to smack the barrel of the gun. Juli sputtered in surprise as the rifle clattered to the ground. Jacob had hardly given it more than a light swat and it had flown right out of her hands. “You’re holding that completely wrong. Your grip is weak to boot.” He added insult to injury.

Juli felt her face grow hot with a tinge of embarrassment on top of her anger. “Oh, yeah!? And what makes  _ you _ so damn sure, Seed?” She attempted to protect her pride by snapping back at the older man defiantly, shooting him a look before she scooped up the poor rifle.

The rifle was in her hand one moment and gone again in the next. Jacob had swiped it from her more easily than the brunette wanted to admit. He nudged Juli out of the way with the barrel before lining up his shot. It took him less than a few seconds to do so and, on top of it all, he managed to hit the target right in the middle with perfect accuracy. 

Juli gaped angrily at the ease at which he executed the action, stumbling back slightly when the gun was shoved roughly back into her arms. “I used to be in the army.” Came Jacob’s blunt explanation when the younger woman had fallen into stunned, fuming silence.

Juli had been expecting him to maybe be hunter or something particularly masculine like that, but not something as steamrolling as a soldier. Apparently, despite everyone’s endless blabbering, there were some things she still didn’t know about the Seeds. “Okay. Alright. Fair point.” She finally responded curtly when she realized that she was terribly outmatched by the man. More so than she assumed. “That’s a valid argument you’ve made, but you’re still trespassin'. So, get the fuck off my property!”

Jacob let out a laugh at that response, the noise rumbling deep in his chest. He was surprised at how easily Juli seemed to bounce back. Stubborn and pissed off at the merest poke. Just like Joseph and John described her. “Oh, so you  _ don’t _ want to learn how to shoot that gun?” He asked as he loosely gestured to the gun she now had a death grip on. Like she was preparing for him to smack it out of her hands again with the casual wave of his hand.

“I’d love to learn how to shoot my Pops’ rifle,” Juli replied in false pleasantries, almost mocking the other before her. “But you’re the  _ last _ person I’d want to learn from.” Jacob crossed his arms, staring at her with a sort of expectancy. Like he was almost appraising her drive.

It was the same look that Joseph Seed had on his damn face whenever he tried to extend his religious olive branch to her. While Joseph's wasn’t nearly as smug as Jacob’s, she knew for a fact that it was a stance the older man wasn’t going to back down so easily from. And it wasn’t like Juli could escape in her truck like she did with the younger Seed sibling.

What was the older man even gaining from helping her? Was this some stupid tactic to try and win her over, so she’d finally turn into one of their Church groupies? Was that why he had even shown up to begin with?

“Fucking Christ above…!” Juli finally groaned in frustration, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “If I let you teach me how to shoot this godforsaken gun will you piss off my property!?” There was a smirk on his lips that nearly looked like a mocking sneer.

“Perhaps.” He said simply.  Jacob was testing his fucking fate.

“I am five seconds away from smacking you into next week, boy.” Juli seethed through gritted teeth, fixing the man with a tested glare. Her finger pointed at him with the threat before the brunette turned back to the target. If she talked to him any longer, she was going to do just that. The younger woman didn’t care if he was a hulking behemoth of a man- She’d still take a swing at his stupid mug.

Lifting the gun, she took her aim and readied to heed the other’s advice. Or, more accurately, had  _ expected _ actually good advice. “That stance is horrible. You’re holding the gun wrong.” Jacob pointed out bluntly, barely taking more than a step to the side to check her form. Juli let out an exasperated groan and shifted her stance. “Still wrong.” She moved again. “Nope. Still wrong.” A growl left her as she moved once more. “Wrong.”

“How about you  _ show _ me how to hold the fuckin' gun then, military man!” Juli barked at the other over her shoulder. Her patience was already so thin, she didn’t need Jacob screwing with her when he offered to  _ help _ . Perhaps calling Whitehorse to haul him off wasn’t an outrageous idea after all. 

However, Jacob seemed to take her snapping as permission. Juli nearly jumped when she felt the other brush up behind her, rough hands reaching down the rifle to move her own. He worked his way down and adjusted her posture accordingly. He bent her elbows a bit more, shifted her shoulders, and prodded sharply at her back to make her straighten up.

The casual way he grabbed her hips brought goosebumps to her arms. The young woman tried her best not to acknowledge how easily they encompassed her as Jacob shifted her weight. She felt him straighten up behind her, still lingering close as his boot kicked her feet to scoot them apart another inch. “There. Lift the rifle slightly in that position. Just enough to look down the sights. Then aim and shoot.” His voice was just behind her as he instructed.

Juli swallowed uneasily as she lifted the rifle with the utmost carefulness, not wanting to throw off the position Jacob had shifted her into. Her eyes stared into the center on the target when she felt she lined up her shot. 

The bullet grazed the side of the target and Juli felt her head perk up in delight. That was the closest she had ever come to hitting it. For a moment, she had forgotten about the man behind her, feeling a bit of pride welling up for even coming  _ close _ to hitting the target.   
  
“I said  _ aim _ .” Jacob’s voice was right next to her ear, firm and unwavering. The last word came out like a command. Juli felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as she felt rough palms on her skin. His hands pressed lightly into her neck, thumb and forefinger pressing into her jaw to tilt her head. “And shoot.” 

Juli blanked for a moment, breath catching in her chest. Jacob’s hands didn’t move from her throat and she was sure he could probably feel her heartbeat sharply increase. Suddenly, she had nerves like never before, feeling her palms grow sweaty against the smooth wood of the rifle. 

Part of her felt a shock of excitement while the other part felt a sharp and sudden fear. There was something that made the whole situation feel so intimate and vulnerable that it was suffocating.    
  
At some point her finger received the message, finally pulling the trigger after an agonizing and tense silence. The bullet pierced so close to the middle of the target that it was cruel. Jacob let out an approving sort of hum but didn’t move like he was waiting for another shot.

Juli didn’t even try. If she stayed like that any longer she was going to start choking on the anxiousness clawing its way up her chest. She took several stumbling steps away from the man to escape his overwhelming presence. Her throat almost felt bare without the loose pressure of his calloused hands. 

“I did it. You can go now.” Juli finally blurted out, trying to force her usual haughty tone. She didn’t want the other to see her so flustered, but there was something in his eyes that showed that he could see right through her. 

It almost looked as though he could see  _ too much _ of her and Juli didn’t like that thought. She felt more vulnerable than before like the woman was suddenly laid bare before a predator. “You hit the target, but you didn’t nail it in the middle.” Jacob pointed out but likely knew that the woman before him wasn’t budging.   
  
“I wouldn’t get it on my first attempt, anyway. I got it close, so that should be good enough for you.” Juli replied firmly and the other seemed to take the hint. Jacob shrugged his shoulders, looking impassive. His eyes looked Juli over once more like he was reading her like a damn  _ book _ before he finally took his leave. “See you around, Jack.” He called over his shoulder, giving a lazy half wave to the younger woman as he left.

Juli stayed rooted in place, eyes not leaving the man until he disappeared completely down her dirt drive. Her heart was still beating a mile a minute. She pressed her hand to her chest as if she was trying to will it to stop hammering in her ribs. Almost subconsciously, her hand trailed up to touch her throat where Jacob’s had been.

What did he  _ really _ want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope anyone who is enjoying this is in for the long run because boy, oh boy, do I have A LOT planned for this story. I don't want to give a chapter estimation on the fic, but I do have nearly a dozen chapters planned out. 
> 
> It's going to be a slow build up- In possible romance and in plot. So, buckle up boyos we're going on a ride through the slow fall of Hope County at the hands of the Seed Family.


	3. Passing Faces

Juli hated to admit it. She absolutely fucking hated to admit it, but… Jacob Seed was a pretty decent teacher. 

With his small guidance, she had made a pretty big improvement towards being efficient with the gun. Just knowing how to hold, aim, and shoot was the brunt of the necessary knowledge to do so. So, unsurprisingly, making use of that stance and the advice he gave on how to aim really did wonders. 

And she wasn’t easily recalling how to do so because she couldn’t quite get the thought those rough hands out of her head.

It didn’t take long for a stationary target to become dull and boring. When Juli could hit the bullseye practically every time it started to feel like a waste of ammo just sitting there shooting at it. She wanted to give the nice rifle a good use and that certainly wasn’t target practice in her backyard. 

Hunting was an option that just felt so right that she didn’t think twice about going into town to get the necessary things that were missing from her dad’s hunting gear. It had been Friday when she made the decision, so she quickly made up her mind to go into town on Saturday to get what she needed. 

There was less of a chance she’d run into the Father that way. Plus if she went out hunting on Sunday on top of it all, she’d avoid the envelope altogether. Juli almost felt as though if she hung home again that Sunday then one of the Seeds would make himself present once more. 

While Jacob hadn’t been  _ terrible _ , she felt her palms get nervously sweaty at the thought of being alone with him again. And on the flip side of that, Juli would probably ram her head into the nearest wall if John showed up instead. Those Seed siblings were all persistent and annoying in their  _ lovely _ , special way.

Kicking the door of her truck closed, Juli rolled her sleeves up as she made her way to the hunting shop. After going through her dad’s things she made a neat little list of what she needed and tucked it away in her pocket. 

The young woman hoped she could hand off the list to whoever was working and they’d be able to help her since she didn’t know the first thing about gear and supplies. Hopefully, they’d be kind enough to also give her some advice for her venture out into the wilderness tomorrow. 

While she was excited to try her hand at some moving, living targets, she once again had no idea what she was doing. The only way to learn was to do, after all.

A gentle tug on the back of her thin flannel stopped Juli in her tracks and pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned almost apprehensively towards whoever had done so.

“Hello. Do you have a bit of money you can spare?” The woman’s voice was soft and polite as she asked, flashing the other a gentle smile. Her hand let go of the brunette’s clothes to slowly circle around her other in a distractingly idle fashion. 

While she looked nice there was something about her that seemed… off? She looked normal, but just a little bit messy. Her hair didn’t quite look brushed and her clothes looked like they were thrown on in a hurry. There was a tiredness to her stare and her smile didn’t completely reach her eyes as she looked over Juli’s face. 

“Uh..” Juli fumbled awkwardly to fill the silence, not wanting to just gawk at the other. It was a bit hard not to stare, but she didn’t know what she wanted to say to her. “Do you need some extra cash for some food or somethin’?” 

She was pale. The kind of pale you’d look like if you were sick or something. It was even the middle of a warm summer day, but her movements had almost a slight shiver to them.   
  
Locals didn’t really talk about homeless people. Juli wasn’t entirely sure if there were any homeless people in Hope County, but the person in front of her looked the closest to one that she’d ever come across here. She didn’t look too bad off, but there was something that made her look so hopeless and desperate under that fake smile.

“Just a few dollars.” She didn’t quite answer the question as she responded, her head tilting slightly as she regarded the other. “I don’t need much.”   
  
Juli’s mouth pressed into a thin line, contemplating her options. Her hand reached into her pocket, brushing over her list and wallet.  Just a few dollars wasn’t too hard to spare, but..

“Now, you don’t really need that money.” Her choice had been made by her savior of the day: Nick Rye. He placed a hand on Juli’s shoulder before she could pull out her wallet, fixing the woman before her with a firm look. “You run along and do somethin’ better with your time. Don’t go botherin’ anyone else for money.”

The woman before them didn’t look mad or upset at Nick’s assertive butt into the conversation. In fact, she almost didn’t have any reaction at all. Her smile seemed to quirk to the side a bit, but still didn’t really reach her eyes to make it look too genuine. “Alright. Have a good day then.” She replied simply, turning on her heel without another word.

She walked away from the two, wandering almost listlessly down the street. Nick watched her go carefully, making sure she didn’t make a second stop at another unfortunate civilian before turning to Juli. “Now what’s a hardass like you gettin’ polite mugged for? I thought you’d be too mean to let such a thing happen!” He teased with a playful punch to the brunette’s shoulder.

Juli scoffed at the teasing accusation, giving him a light whack on the side in retaliation. “She took me by surprise! I didn’t know what to do!” Juli rolled out the excuse likely closer to the truth than she wanted to admit. “I suppose I owe you a thanks for savin’ me from having to fork over a dollar.”

“It’s only right that family help each other out,” Nick said as he beamed at the woman, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a shrug. “Your daddy might as well been my own. We spent so much damn time together as kids that you’re basically my sister.”

The two had spent a lot of time together as kids and were extremely close by the time Juli moved out of Montana. They were technically ‘neighbors’- Although in Hope County that usually meant it took under thirty minutes to reach his house. They had done all sorts of dumb, life-threatening shit together in their youth like climbing trees, jumping over large ravines, and poking wild snakes with sticks.

Even after Juli had moved home, Nick still always made sure to keep in touch. He’d call her every once and a while and they’d shoot the shit together. Juli never had anything particularly interesting going on in her life, but Nick always had something to spin a story or brag about. 

Although, the only thing of merit was when he called Juli around two in the morning, hollering about how Kim said yes when he engaged to her. (It had happened late at night and he meant to call Juli the next day, but he just couldn’t hold in the excitement.) 

Hell, he was even the first person to jump up and nearly fly all the way to North Carolina to get her when Juli said she couldn’t find a way back to Montana for her father’s funeral. He was a good man and the young woman was always happy to see him.

“Yeah, you were stupid enough to have to need two daddies, Nick Rye.” Juli teased the man as she crossed her own arms, grinning at him as he gave an immediate, overdramatic response. His hand lifted to clutch at his chest like he had just been shot, wincing dramatically at her words.   
  
“That hurts, Jules. Cuts real deep. How could you say something so mean to me?” Nick moped like he had been done a terrible service by the woman.   
  
“Maybe because it’s true? Dare I remind you of the time you forgot your house keys inside your house?” Juli asked flatly with a raised brow, her finger tapping her chin as she recalled. “Because you told me to just pick you up and use your head as a battering ram to knock your front door in to get inside.”

“..To your credit, you were a strong little hellion, so you would’ve been able to do it,” Nick admitted after an awkward pause of acceptance at the statement.

“I was, but that didn’t mean it was a _ good  _ idea,” Juli commented with a light jab on his arm, a loose chuckle escaping her lips. Her hazel eyes wandered down the street curiously. The woman had approached her long gone by the time she looked around. “...Who was that? That girl.. She homeless or somethin’?”   
  
“Oh, her?” Nick gestured in the direction that she went as if the stranger was still there. “That was Rachel Jessop. She doesn’t live in this particular area, but she does live in Hope County. She’s a user likely was askin’ you for money for her next fix.” Juli’s face shifted to mild surprise, a bit glad she didn’t fork over as he went on to explain. “Whitehorse has tried to help her out, but there’s only so much you can do when someone’s that gone. He’s given up, but has told people not to give her any money if they can.”

“That’s rough,” Juli mumbled out awkwardly, her body language a little more tense with that information. She didn’t like to hear about stuff like that. To only find comfort or happiness in drugs was always such a cruel living to have. Especially when it began to wear you thin like the way Rachel appeared to be. She had looked so sad behind that artificial smile she had plastered on her face. “Thanks again then, Nick. I’ll try to be more careful next time.”   
  
“No problem.” Nick insisted again with a comforting pat on the brunette’s shoulder. “What’re you doing out in town, anyway? Runnin’ some errands?”

“I guess you could say. Came out here to get some huntin’ stuff. I learned how to use Pop’s rifle, so I figured I’d take it out for a spin tomorrow.” Juli explained to the other, seeming to ease up a bit with the subject change. Her hand reached back into her pocket and pulled out the list she made, holding it out to Nick. “I don’t know the first thing about half this shit.. I’ll probably look like I got my head up my ass tryin’ to find it all.”   
  
Nick seemed to light up at the mention of hunting, taking the list from her hand the moment she presented it. “No shit! That’s awesome!” He said in an excited sort of surprise, giving Juli a grin before jabbing his thumb in the direction of the store. “I can help you find what you need! It’ll save you some embarrassment, that’s for sure.”

Juli’s eyes widened like Nick had shown her the sun for the first time, hands desperately clutching at his sleeve. “ _ Yes _ , please. Nick Rye, you fuckin’ saint.” She blurted out so quickly and almost desperately that it nearly had Nick in stitches.

“Now, isn’t that a rare thing to hear?” Nick managed between the laughs, waving for her to follow him to the store.

Juli was far more comfortable to have him leading the charge. It was  _ definitely _ less embarrassing than having to monopolize the only clerk’s time. Nick was more than happy to explain what different gear was used for and the best ways to go about her first hunt. 

The shopping had basically turned into a nice day of hanging out with her best friend. And Juli wouldn’t have wanted to spend her afternoon any other way.

The two parted ways just after lunchtime, Nick waving to her down the street as he made his way over to the general store. Juli gave him a salute before she turned on her heel, plastic bags in hand as she made her way over to her truck.

Parked next to the sidewalk just a few feet away from the hunting store was a jeep. The windows were rolled down and a low, old sounding song floated out as she passed. Or, more accurately, tried to pass.   
  
“I thought that was your truck.” The undeniable voice of Jacob Seed came out from within the jeep, window rolling down a bit more so he could lean out slightly. “I saw the rifle in the passenger seat and knew it looked a bit too familiar. You carrying that thing around like a safety blanket now?”

Juli let out a long, irritated huff as she stopped in her tracks. She turned to regard the man surveying her with furrowed brows and a firm frown. “I’ll have you know, I’m going  _ huntin’ _ tomorrow and I figured I’d bring the gun in case the guy at the shop wanted to see it.” She replied tersely to his loose teasing. He looked surprised at that.

There was a slight nervousness that started to creep up on her, but it wasn’t too bad. They were out in town rather than being alone at her house in the woods. Still, there was just something about him that always put her on edge, what happened a few days ago only further supported that feeling deep in her gut.

Yet at the same time, there was something compelling about him. There was something compelling about each of the Seed siblings, though. That’s why everyone loved them so damn much.

“You’re going hunting? You think you’re some sort of expert now?” Jacob asked with a light snort, not seeming to take her word entirely seriously.

“No, but I’ve been practicing and I figured I’d try my hand at the actual sport,” Juli answered the inquiry honestly. 

“Aw, that’s cute. Shoot a target a few times and I’m sure you’d be able to hit any of the deer in the forest.” Jacob said condescendingly back to her, making Juli scowl a bit more. Her eyes wandered to peek around inside his Jeep. 

There wasn’t much in it, but it obviously wasn’t new. The seats were a bit worn and there was a lot of loose change and a few packets of cigarettes lying around on the inside. The radio was still playing that old tune. “What’re you listening to?” Juli’s scowl softened slightly as she nodded to his radio. 

It was certainly an odd song.. For someone like Jacob, at least. He didn’t seem the type to like this kind of music. He was far too gruff looking to enjoy something smooth and romantic sounding like this.

“Music,” Jacob replied bluntly to her question.   
  
“No- Really?” Juli shot right back with feigned surprise, waving her hand at the radio “I never would’ve thought! Well, regardless of what it is, it sucks.” Her last few words had a flat, passive-aggressive edge to them. That managed to get a light scowl of his own on Jacob’s face. 

“You’re too young to appreciate good music, apparently.” He said curtly back to her, hand resting a bit more firmly on the steering wheel.   
  
“Oh, please. I’m basically the same age as John.” Juli scoffed as she put her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing on the man.

“Yeah, young. Young and just as short-tempered and dense, it seems.” Jacob pointed out.

“Ha, ha. Jokes on you. I’m going to go tattle on you for sayin’ such mean things about your brother!” Juli jabbed Jacob’s muscled arm hanging out the window with a finger, a grin actually crossing her face.   
  
Jacob didn’t seem ruffled at her words. “Go ahead. I’ll probably say it to John’s face myself before you have the chance to.” He replied wise ease, but that didn’t wipe the grin off the younger woman’s face. 

“Oh,  _ no _ . I’m not tellin’ John. I’m gonna tell Joseph. I’m sure he’ll give you a gentle earful.” Juli’s hands moved to her knees as she bent down slightly to look up at the man with her own condescending tone. “Is it fun to get chastised by your younger brother?”  _ That _ put a real scowl on the man’s face.   
  
Juli wasn’t sure if she had seen the man look so genuinely pissed off. He always was just so calm and collected, but that seemed to really poke him. 

“Piss off, Jackson.” His replied dripped with that anger and it just made the brunette feel so smug. Finally, she was getting under a Seed sibling’s skin instead of the other way around for once.

“Aww, what’s wrong? Did I hurt your manly feelings?” Juli continued to coo condescendingly at the other, shaking her head with a soft frown. Jacob stared her dead in eyes. His face twisted furiously still as his hand left the wheel, reaching over to the radio. He slowly turned up  _ Only You _ to drown out her taunting and teasing.

He kept turning the dial until the song was nearly blasting out of his speakers. Juli laughed at his solution, but he couldn’t really hear her over the music. “Later, Seed!” She tried to holler over the music before sauntering her way down the street. She seemed content with the trouble she caused. Turning on her heels, she was so pleased with herself that she happily gave the other the finger to top it all off.   
  
Jacob nearly returned the gesture, but instead, he sulked in his loud music as he watched her drive off. Juli certainly didn’t know where her place was or who she was really messing with. She was a piece of work.

“Do you mind?” John almost had to shout to be heard by his brother over the music. He stood by the vehicle, glaring through the open window. He didn’t climb into the passenger seat until Jacob begrudgingly turned the music down to a relatively normal volume. 

“Bothering Ms. Jackson again?” The younger man inquired, earning a sharp look from the other before he started up the jeep. “Oh, now that’s a look from the devil. You should stop making that face or it’ll stick that way.”

“Like she doesn't piss you off. Last time you two ran into each other, you threw the world’s biggest temper tantrum.” Jacob shot back at the other man to get him to shut his trap. John gave him such a fierce glare that it nearly would’ve put the woman in question to shame.   
  
“She’s just a little troublemaker, isn’t she?” John muttered bitterly back, content to turn the subject away from himself as he looked out the window. In a way, it shut him up.

“Mhm. An uncooperative troublemaker.” Jacob mulled over the description, feeling like it was the most fitting for the woman. While they didn’t really have every single person in Hope County under their wing just yet, Juli Jackson certainly gave them the hardest time. Openly to boot. 

Most people would politely turn them down and try to keep out of their business. Those people usually could be convinced after some pressing, but the younger woman seemed like a near unconquerable challenge for even Joseph. 

John had been the next to try, but the attempt was extremely short-lived. Their personalities clashed so horribly that they nearly killed each other when they interacted for more than a few minutes. That left Jacob. Although, Joseph wasn’t going to stop trying on his end regardless of his older brother’s help.

“Oh, I’m  _ well _ aware of that. I really don’t think any of us can get through to  _ that _ .” John leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, finally glancing back over at the other man. “Joseph’s actually still mad about you approaching her on Sunday.”

“I don’t see why me approaching her made much of a difference.” Jacob scoffed at the comment, knowing that John was trying to pull strings to get a reaction out of him. He got a kick every now and again when him and Joseph fought. “I think Joseph’s just irritated that she didn’t tell me to piss off.”   
  
The older man had been tasked to simply observe her since he was the best fit for the job. But stepping out and approaching Juli had gotten the best results out of the encounter in Jacob’s opinion. Results that he didn’t openly share with his siblings.

“I thought she did.” John pointed out and Jacob chuckled a little bit. “Oh, she did, but she didn’t  _ make _ me.” He almost sounded pleased with himself and the younger man could only shake his head with a snort.

"How charming." John commented sarcastically.


	4. Nature's Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: A small bit of violence. Wounds described in mild detail.

Juli hadn’t gotten up at the ass crack of dawn since school and even then it wasn’t willingly in the slightest. She could remember how grumpy and tired she’d be when she got ready for the bus. Will would be wide awake to make sure she didn’t forget anything for her send off. Sometimes he’d be rearing to head out too, gun in hand like she was now.   
  
It almost felt like some odd, self-fulfilling prophecy and at the same time, it just felt  _ right _ . When she was younger she didn’t really see the appeal of hunting but doing it as a way to remember her father was a comforting thought. 

She’d be happy to walk away with little to no success if she got to just experience something Will did for just a moment. Getting outside and doing something with her sorry ass was an added bonus to the experience.   
  
Nick had been so excited too- He wanted to hear all about it when she was done with her first hunting experience. Since she had already made the decision to go alone, he didn’t want to intrude on her adventure, but the other was more than thrilled at the idea of the two of them going out together if she liked it. 

“We could bring Kim too! The three of us can make a day of it and just the shoot the shit outta stuff!” Nick had said happily and Juli couldn’t help but agree. Running around in the woods with Nick and Kim shooting shit was the only way the woman would want to waste a day away.

But Juli definitely appreciated Nick’s open respect for her first day out. All she wanted to keep her company was her dad’s rifle and the gentle rustling of the forest around her.  There would definitely be a time for doing crazy shit with the Ryes in the near future. For now, she wanted the thoughtful solitude.

It was an interesting, almost enlightening experience for someone who had never even tried hunting before. There was a lot of mindless wandering around, simply appreciating the calmness of the forest.

Juli didn’t know a lot about hunting to begin with, so she couldn’t really track anything. She used her senses to the best of her ability and moved slowly and silently between the trees.

The spot she picked out was a common hunting ground, so she didn’t need to worry too much about wandering too far in. There was at least one tree every few feet that was marked to lead the way back to the road, keeping her on a safe path.

An hour nearly passed and she hadn’t come across anything living besides the birds and squirrels in the trees. There was a temptation to try taking a shot at them, but the risk of giving herself away after all the precautions she had been taking wasn’t worth it.   
  
It’d only alleviate the boredom momentarily and there was no way she’d be able to hit something so small regardless. A waste of bullets not worth trying.

When she  _ did _ finally come across her first deer she immediately fucked it up for herself. Juli had carefully walked around a large tree and saw one nestling into the grass just a few feet away. Just the mere sight of one had brought a soft gasp of surprise out of her.

The deer’s head immediately jerked up at the noise. It had been just audible enough to hear and the second the animal laid eyes on her it took off running. “Son of-” The young woman stopped herself before she could hiss out the rest, not wanting to make any more noise.   
  
There would likely be more just a little bit deeper in and Juli wasn’t going to risk making another peep.    
  
Now steeled with a purpose, Juli slowly crept in the direction the nimble deer hopped off into, being particularly careful not to step on anything. It likely was long gone, but she didn’t dare rush after it. There would be another somewhere nearby and the patience would pay off.

Which it did. The creeping between the trees had only taken a few moments but felt close to ages when she finally came across another deer. She bit her bottom lip hard to keep from making any noise as it walked into view just mere feet away.

It was moving through the bushes, but it was slow enough that Juli felt like she could probably hit it. If she didn’t then it was her own fault, but for once she felt confident. Lifting the rifle up as quietly as possible, she mimicked the stance she had been practicing all week.

_ “Aim then shoot _ . _ ” _   She could practically hear Jacob’s voice in her ear again as she sucked in a breath. Her whole body was tense, finger hovering over the trigger. Almost too scared to take the shot, but..

The sound of the rifle echoed through the empty trees over her head. Juli hurriedly lowered it to see if her shot had landed. The deer looked like it had stopped in that same sort of startled stance the other had done before suddenly collapsing.

Juli stared wide-eyed at the spot where it fell, almost feeling as if it was too good to be true, but the deer didn’t get back up. She had landed the shot.

“Yes- Yes, yes!! Fuck yes!” Juli couldn’t help herself from exclaiming loudly as she rushed to the fallen animal, unable to hold it back with the pride quickly welling inside her. Her hands clutched her rifle so tightly with joy that her knuckles nearly turned white as she knelt beside her first kill.

After hours of work it was so satisfying to bask in the animal before her. Juli felt a trickle of sympathy for the creature along with it, feeling a bit bad for being the one to end it’s life. Her hand gently touched where the bullet went through, feeling the soft fur around the fresh hole in its ribs.

The young woman took a moment to soak everything in, listening to the bushes rustle around her as she gently pat the deer. Any of the animals remaining in the area likely were making their desperate escape at the loud sound of the rifle that echoed in the gentle quiet.

“If I can carry you to my truck, I won’t have to leave you here to waste away,” Juli said as she carefully set her rifle on the ground, hands sliding underneath the body. It wasn’t a terribly big deer, so there was a good chance she  _ could _ conceivably carry it to her truck.

“Maybe Nick or one of the local guys can make… huh?”

There was a sticky warmth that covered her hand when it slipped under the deer’s neck, making her immediately recoil back. The initial feeling had taken her by surprise, but Juli wasn’t entirely shocked to see that it was blood. Where the blood was coming from was a bit more perplexing to her.   
  
Sliding her hand under the deer’s head, Juli lifted it to try and get a good look at its neck where she felt the blood seeping from. Right in the middle of its throat were a few deep gashes that looked extremely fresh and were still oozing blood. “What the fuck..?”

Juli slowly placed the deer’s head back down, feeling a sense of dread almost immediately creeping over her. It crawled it’s way up her back and sent a shudder through her as she carefully grabbed her rifle. Everything felt all too still all of the sudden and it made her mind scream: Run. Something’s not right.

The dread was horribly right. The moment she made the decision to leave the deer and turned she was when she was met with a sight that made her blood run cold. 

Juli had never felt so terribly small in her entire life until she was faced with what  _ really _ had killed the deer. She sat in unmoving shock as she stared into a mouth filled with long fangs. The wolf had snuck up on her the same way it likely crept up on the dead animal behind the young woman, resting back on its haunches as it stared her down. 

There was only a brief moment of violent adrenaline spike before the animal was upon her. The pounce had slammed its paws so hard into Juli's chest that it nearly knocked the wind right out her. The impact definitely delayed the scream of terror that ripped through her.

Juli held her father’s rifle like it was her lifeline. It was the only barrier separating her from the thrashing, snarling beast on top of her. She had fallen back on the deer when it jumped her and the slightly elevated surface made the terrifying jaws feel even closer. 

They snapped mere centimeters from her face as Juli tried to use the gun as leverage between them to force it back. However, the wolf had a surprising weight behind it. The entire animal felt like it was made of pure muscle, weighing her arms down and nearly giving it purchase to sink its fangs into her.

Juli’s arms braced before she shoved the rifle away, arms nearly locking in place as they extended outward. The push had lifted the wolf off her just enough for it to nearly stand on its hind legs before crashing down upon her again.   
  
Another horrified scream escaped her as Juli quickly tried to stop the second assault. This time the barrel of the gun was smashed in between its jaws, wedging them open despite the animal’s attempts to close them. 

Not wanting to give the wolf the opportunity to overpower her, Juli’s legs scrambled beneath her while it struggled to rip itself off the gun. One leg managed to wedge between her and the jerking animal, nailing it right in the ribs as she kicked with all her strength.

This blow was more successful than the last, knocking the wolf off her completely. Juli immediately clambered to her feet with the brief opening she had, but it didn’t give her enough time to try and run. The wolf was up almost as quickly as she was, lashing out with open jaws.   


The feeling of its teeth sinking into her leg nearly made Juli sick. There should have been more pain than there was, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins made it impossible to properly register. 

Which in itself was a very good thing. The extra boost gave her enough strength to keep standing, shaking her leg wildly in an attempt to loosen the animal’s hold. Her heart was hammering in her ears as she desperately struggled to free herself.

The only thing running through her mind was a million voices screaming at once,  _"Don't die!!"_

Juli could feel the teeth dragging through her skin as her leg ripped from the wolf’s grasp. The jaws went to snap a second time. They attempted to latch on again before the brunette's leg fully retreated, but her boot rammed right in its nose before it could even try.

The second kick nearly sent her off balance, but as she stumbled she raised her rifle over her head. Both of her hands held it like a bat as she swung it full force at the wolf’s head. 

It collided with a crack that was so loud it nearly drowned out the yelp that the wolf let out at the hit. That seemed to make it decide the fight wasn’t worth it, tucking tail and bounding off into the trees before Juli could take a second swing.

Juli’s heart was still running a mile a minute as she watched the wolf disappear back into the woods. Her blood was rushing through her system so quickly that she could feel the erratic thumping between her ears.

The sound was so overwhelming that she almost couldn’t listen to the forest around her to see if her attacker would change it’s mind and return. Juli's whole body was so tense and still that she easily could’ve been mistaken for one of the trees, rifle raised over her head in preparation to strike again.

Minutes that passed felt like hours, Juli’s eyes darting over the trees and bushes. She didn’t dare to try to move until she was sure that she was safe. And when nothing returned to take another bite out of her, she ran.

Juli bounded through the woods faster than she had ever run before, barely registering the markers that led back to the road. Just  _ running _ . Her feet stumbled over gnarled roots as she tore between trees and through bushes.   
  
It felt as though her heart and lungs were about to burst from her chest, but Juli didn’t slow down for a second. She was spat out on the road a few feet away from her truck in mere minutes. Her hands tore the door open the moment they touched the handle, slamming it back closed behind her after the young woman hauled herself into the front seat. 

Her father’s rifle was discarded in the seat beside her as Juli braced most of her weight on the wheel, hacking as she tried to desperately catch her breath. Her whole body heaved from all the terrifyingly overwhelming sensations that she was feeling all at once.

The only thing that kept her from throwing up was the desire not to open her door again. It took several moments for Juli to even catch her breath, body shaking almost violently from the strain and the adrenaline. 

Everything  _ burned _ yet didn’t feel too horrible from the mere shock of it all. Her hand left the wheel, sliding down her leg to feel where the wolf had latched on. As she prodded all she felt was a dull ache, but she knew it was far worse than what she could feel.   
  
Her jeans were torn wide open, denim soaked with blood as the matching gashes in her flesh continued to bleed. “Shit…” Juli hissed as she leaned back to look at the damage, feeling her stomach twist at the sight of the gore. She could see further under her skin than she ever wanted to, pressing her hand into the wound.

That only made more blood gush forth with the pressure, making the brunette feel horribly woozy. “Fuck- Fuck.. Fuck.. Fuck…!!” Juli’s bloodied hand lifted back up to grip the steering wheel tightly, sucking in deep, but frantic breaths.

Stay calm. She needed to stay calm. 

Juli’s eyes glanced over at her father’s rifle, catching the equally gruesome damage done to the barrel of the gun. 

The once beautiful deep colored wood was riddled with hideous scratches. Small chunks were taken out where the fangs had sunk in and there was a long crack from tip to trigger.

“ _ Son of a BITCH!! _ ” Juli screamed out the pent-up fury and fear that had built up inside of her, forcing it out from where it was caught in her throat. Her bloodied fist smashed into the wheel a few times before she furiously turned the key in the ignition.

The entire mad drive to the hospital was a blur at that point. When the adrenaline left her system, Juli felt as though her leg was on  _ fire _ . The dull ache she felt had bloomed into searing pain.  Everything hurt and ached so badly that it was a challenge to stay conscious at the wheel. She didn’t know how much blood she lost, but it was  _ everywhere _ . 

By the time she reached the hospital, it felt as though someone was pressing hot irons into the gashes in her legs and Juli almost sobbed at the pain.  It was all too much. 

Juli had left her truck right out front, not even bothering to take the keys out of the ignition. Her ears barely registered the sounds of horror around her when people saw her shambling into the hospital.  She didn’t even need to approach the front desk. 

Juli was met by several nurses and a wheelchair after she took three limping steps into the lobby. The moment her body touched the seat all the stress and shock finally caught up with her and she was out like a light before they even turned down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had a bit of trouble with this chapter. It kinda threw off my outline because there was supposed to be more that happened later, but I scooted it over in fear that things would drag on a bit too long. I might have to re-arrange everything thanks to this terribly difficult chapter lol I hope it's still enjoyable to read!
> 
> I'm also very happy that so many people are enjoying this as much as I am writing it! I really appreciate the positive feedback and just want to say my thanks here c:


	5. Lonely Understanding

When Juli came to it felt as though she had cotton stuffed in her ears. Everything around her came through as a garbled mess as she breached consciousness. On top of that, her entire body screamed at her as she shifted.

Every individual muscle ached as she tried to sit up on the hospital bed. Her leg surprisingly didn’t hurt, but it dragged around like deadweight as she moved. The doctors likely had jacked it full of heavy anesthetic to dull the pain and she was happy for that despite the numbness.

There were voices around her that started to slowly come through and when she nearly sat up fully one was clear enough to decipher. “...getting up…” It started out a little far away before it came from right beside her. “Please, be careful.. How are you feeling?”

Juli’s eyes slowly opened and she was face to face with a gently concerned nurse. Her hands were grabbing things off the table beside them. “Can’t feel my leg.. Which is nice,” The young woman admitted groggily, not quite realizing what she was grabbing until she felt the cool metal of the stethoscope on her chest.

“We had to use a local anesthetic on you because you needed stitches. It looked like some sort of bite wound. Was it a dog?” The woman continued to softly ask as she took her vitals, writing them down in a folder on the corner of the table.

“A wolf,” Juli replied hoarsely, her throat burning slightly as she spoke. The screaming from earlier had made it feel raw, but it also had a lingering disuse to it. “What time is it..?”

“It’s eleven.” The nurse replied as she seemed to write down the cause of the injury.

“In the morning?” Juli had set out from her house around five in the morning, so she hadn’t been too sure when she had checked into the hospital.

“At night.” Well, shit. “You’ve been out all day.” The other woman replied and Juli let out a soft groan, running her fingers through her hair.

“Wonderful..” She muttered under her breath as the nurse carefully ran the blood pressure cuff up her arm. “We’re going to need to administer you with a rabies vaccine as a precautionary action. If anything it’ll just cover all of our bases.” The woman explained as she took her blood pressure.

“Alright.” The hard pressure from the cuff grounded the younger woman, waking her up a bit more while she glanced around the room. It was your standard hospital room, not too big in size and sparse with furniture.

Most of the space was filled with medical equipment and the fluorescent lights overhead weren’t too pretty nor easy on the eyes. Juli tried her best not to look too far up, eyes wandering over the nurse as she wrote. She followed the movements of the pen until she heard a soft noise of someone clearing their throat.

Her eyes flicked up from the paper, looking just over the nurse’s shoulder. Juli had assumed it was likely who the other woman was speaking to before she had woken up, expecting to be met with a doctor or something of the sort...

Instead, she was met with the sight of Joseph Seed.

At first, Juli had been extremely sure that she was hallucinating the man before her. Why in the world would he be at the hospital? Because he wanted to see her? Why would he want to see  _her_? But, no, when she screwed her eyes shut and opened them again he was still there.

Standing right in front of her with that stupid, polite look on his face. Juli could practically feel the anger suddenly spike inside her, blood nearly boiling at the sight of the man. He was the last person she wanted to see right now.

“..What the fuck are you doin' here.” Juli managed to keep her tone level, but the venom seeped into her words as she spoke. The nurse glanced up at her out of the corner of her eye, an unapproving expression crossing her face.

Joseph’s face immediately pressed into that frown- That soft frown of disapproval that grated on her nerves. Had he been expecting her to be happy to see him? “One of the nurses called after today’s service ended and told me what happened. I thought I’d come and give my blessing-”

“I don’t want your blessing! I want you out of this room! Now.” She shot back at the man without hesitation, her hands angrily clenching as she turned to the nurse. “Isn’t there a policy about people not related to the patient coming into their room?”

“Well, yes- But The Father comes and visits patients all the time-” Oh, of course, he fucking does. Joseph Seed would get a free pass into literally every building in Hope County if he so much as smiled at someone.

So well-intentioned, so polite, so caring and Juli was so sick of it. She would’ve been content to expire back in the woods if it meant she didn’t get stuck with him bothering her in her hospital room. There weren’t even words to describe how furious she was that he was here, practically mocking her with his ‘good intentions’.

“I want to leave,” Juli demanded bluntly to the nurse before she could go off about Joseph’s pleasant, good-natured hospital visits. About him giving faith to the patients and all that bullshit.

“Excuse me?” The woman looked taken aback by the sudden demand, unsure if she even heard her properly.

“I want to go home. Now.” Juli repeated in a firmer tone, obviously dead set on doing so regardless of outside opinion.

“You can’t really-” The nurse had started, but the other woman immediately cut her off.

“Am I dying?” Juli asked curtly.

“Well, no... You’re completely stable and in decent shape. The pain should be the only thing that’ll give you trouble.” The nurse had started to explain, but that was enough of a yes to the younger woman. She was already swinging her legs carefully off the hospital bed, scooting to sit on the edge.

“Then discharge me. I want to leave right now.” Juli demanded once more, looking at the woman almost expectantly. Out of the corner of her eye, Joseph was watching her. He didn’t dare speak up during the exchange, but his frown had disappeared.

His face had a blank sort of searching gaze to it as he looked at the younger woman and Juli hated it. She hated it more than that stupid frown. The nurse’s look of disbelief turned to one of exasperation, but it was obvious that her hands were tied.

“Do you have someone to drive you home?” The woman asked as she stood, collecting up the folder she had been writing in. There was a clear look of disapproval on her face, likely for the other’s choice to leave and her obvious distaste of The Father.

“What- No. It’s eleven at night. I’m just going to drive myself.” Juli had replied incredulously, but that was the catch. The nurse seemed to straighten up with a new authority about her.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t let you leave if you do that. Adding too much pressure to your leg might rip the stitches.” The older woman explained very matter of factly, already beginning to disregard the request. “If you want to leave, you’ll need someone to drive you home.”

Juli stared at the other in disbelief, not expecting to have her one escape suddenly shut off from her. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me-”

“I can drive her.” Joseph offered up politely, finally butting into the conversation. He seemed to be waiting for just the right moment to step in and stay in good graces and he found it.

“I don’t want you to drive me! I want you to piss off!!” Juli finally snapped at the man, unable to stop herself at that point. Her throat stung a bit when her tone raised, feeling as though she was being backed into a corner.

The nurse looked as though she had spat in her face while the person her anger was directed at simply looked dispirited. “Please, Ms. Jackson-” He started gently.

“Don’t you ‘please, Ms. Jackson’ me!!” Juli cut him off with pure spite, grabbing the pillow behind her and chucking at the man with as much force as she could muster. What would get through to this man that she didn't want  _anything_ to do with him? “Fuck right off, Joseph Seed!!”

”Ms. Jackson!!” The nurse exclaimed in upset astonishment, looking furious at the young woman for her actions. On the other hand, Joseph managed to catch to pillow without trouble and was still entirely calm.

He had seen the younger woman reach this level of agitation with John rather easily. Seeing her full of this much fury wasn’t a rare sight to him, but to have all that raw energy directed his way was certainly new. He didn’t particularly like not being able to placate someone.

“Don’t… Don’t be upset with her.” Joseph eventually spoke up, voice still leveled as he turned to the nurse beside him. He offered up a gentle hand on her shoulder as a means to convince and reassure her. “She’s likely just very stressed from the attack-”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!” Juli exclaimed furiously at him, but her interjection didn’t dissuade the man.

“Please.. If you can discharge her, I’ll be her ride home.” Joseph continued calmly as if there was no interruption. “You don’t need to worry. I’ll make sure she gets back safely.”

The nurse was obviously confused and rather conflicted as she looked at the two in the room. There were two completely different responses being thrown her way, but it was obvious where her trust lied. She gave a nod to Joseph before regarding the angry patient on the bed.

“I’ll administer the rabies vaccine and then you can go.” The woman told her before collecting up Juli’s file and stepping out of the room, likely to fetch the vaccine. There was a silence that was left in her wake and Juli reeled around to Joseph, shooting him a spiteful glare. “You are not drivin’ me home.”

“I know that you’re upset and want to go home. Let me do this for you, so you don’t have to be stuck here until morning.” Joseph replied gently, placing the pillow she had thrown down on a nearby chair.

“You don’t really have any other options.” He added and it just made her blood want to boil more.

“If I could stand I would fuckin’ _punch_ you, Joseph Seed.” But he was right. She didn’t have any other options.

The nurse had returned shortly afterward with the vaccine and a wheelchair. Juli hardly even blinked when she stuck her with the needle, refusing the woman’s help when she climbed into the wheelchair. Her leg still didn’t hurt quite yet but was still heavy and cumbersome with the numbness.

Joseph walked slowly beside her as the woman wheeled her out to the front desk. Juli’s arms were crossed tightly across her chest and she refused to look at the man. Her eyes stayed glued bitterly to the ground until she was handed a form to fill out to leave.

Passive-aggressively passing it off when she was done, Juli continued to sit in spiteful silence while Joseph, the nurse, and the annoyingly chipper woman at the front desk exchanged some words. Likely getting apologies for his mistreatment and thanks for showing up.

The brunette looked up once to shoot the woman at the desk a sharp glare when she heard her name come up in a whisper, but that seething look was very short lived. Her arms finally uncrossed to grab the armrests of the wheelchair when it suddenly tilted backward.

A startled gasp left the young woman as she went rigid in the seat, expecting it to suddenly hit the floor, but thankfully didn’t. Instead, she was suspended back in an extremely uncomfortable reclined position by a very smug looking man.

“You look like shit,” John commented with a sneer as he leaned into view, tilting the wheelchair back just a bit farther while he did so. Juli’s nails dug into the arms of the wheelchair, eyes narrowing in annoyance once they met his smug face.

“Gee. _Thanks_. What the hell are you doing here?” It felt like it was pointless to ask, but it was the only thing she could say that wasn’t just chewing the other out. Which didn’t seem like an entirely good idea since John could easily drop her if he pleased in this position.

“How do you think he got here?” He replied with a bored sort of scoff, nodding his head in the direction of his brother. Juli glanced Joseph’s way briefly with a scowl before looking back at the man above her. If she didn’t have to see any of the Seed siblings again she’d be the happiest fucking person in Hope County at this point.

“Wonderful.” Was all she said dryly in response.

“John.” Joseph’s voice softly cut in and when the two glanced over at him he was shooting a disapproving look their way. John let out a discontented sigh and carefully tilted the wheelchair forward to right the woman once more.

Joseph exchanged a brief goodbye with the women at the desk before they finally left. Juli’s truck was still sitting out front where she left it. No one seemed to bother moving it which was a little convenient, in a sense.

It let John wheel her right up to the passenger’s seat before leaving her to stroll off and fetch his own car. Joseph moved over in his place, but Juli immediately recoiled back when he reached out to help her up. “Just get the door.” The brunette said thinly to him.

The older man sighed but did as she requested. He opened the door and hesitantly stepped back to let her climb inside. His eyes watched Juli carefully as she got out of the wheelchair with what seemed like relative ease.

The only thing that was making things difficult was her leg. It was pretty awkward to walk with when she couldn’t really feel it, but through sheer spite, she managed to haul herself up into the truck on her own.

Although, after the endeavor, she could almost feel a slight throbbing in her leg. Which could only be a sign that the anesthetic was slowly wearing off. How fortunate for her.

Joseph wheeled the chair back to the hospital before he joined Juli in the car. Or, more accurately, he had opened the door but stopped with slightly wide eyes when he saw the state of the driver’s seat.

It looked like someone had gotten murdered in her truck with the sheer amount of blood everywhere. While most of it had dried, it still wasn’t a pretty sight. A lot of it was on the bottom of the seat and floor, but some of the blood that had gotten on her hands was smeared all over the wheel along with the inside handle of the door.

“The keys are in the ignition still,” Juli said bluntly as she opened up the glove compartment, digging out some alcohol wipes for the other to take. She seemed to be considerate enough to at least help Joseph clean up some of the mess since it was all of _her_ blood.

Joseph didn’t seem uncomfortable with the blood in the slightest. Considering he was some ‘pure churchman’, she had been half expecting him to near faint, but he was as collected as ever. If anything just a bit concerned and shocked at the sheer amount.

“No wonder you needed stitches.. You do look a bit paler.” The older man seemed to mumble to himself as they cleaned up the truck, earning a look from Juli. If she wasn’t so pissed off and wanted to talk to the man as _little_ as possible, she would’ve bothered to ask how the hell he could tell she was paler. It seemed like such an intimate detail for someone to notice.

Juli lifted the trashed rifle off seat once all the blood was cleaned up. She lingered a moment with it in her hands as Joseph climbed into the truck, an upset frown crossing her face before she placed it gingerly out of the way.

It was one that wasn’t angry, more so heartbroken. One that Joseph didn’t really catch before he started up the truck and the agonizing drive home began.

Juli had shifted over as far as she physically could in the seat once she was buckled. There was a sizable gap between her and the other in the truck, but he didn’t seem to say anything about it.

It was late, nearly midnight now as they finally pulled out of town. No one else was out on the backroads into the deep country. The only other person there was John, who tailed several feet behind the two. In the dark rural area, his headlights behind them were the only thing that was shining any light inside the truck.

The silence that hung in the air of the dim truck was almost tangible. Juli was making an obvious effort not to talk to her courteous driver whatsoever and Joseph was almost being too polite to initiate a conversation.

To the younger woman, this was a perfect middle ground. If this was how she had to get home then she wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. A forty minute drive in silence with Joseph Seed was something she could tolerate, but that was just a hopeful assumption.

Somewhere down the long, winding road, Joseph finally decided to speak up.

“I know you likely have a lot of feelings going through you.. Believe it or not, in a way, I understand how you’re feeling right now.” To anyone else, Joseph’s voice would’ve been a comfort in the silence, so gentle and almost soothing. But Juli immediately scowled as he began to speak.

Here it fucking comes, her mind screamed as she visibly sank into her seat.

“It wasn’t quite what you went through, but I had the same strong feelings… Anger being one of the most prominent ones.” The man went on and, out of the corner of her eye, she could see him glance away from the road to look at her briefly. “While you are justified in your feelings, you must not let them consume you.”

Yet as he spoke Juli could feel herself getting more pissed off. Almost defiantly, her anger was slowly boiling up inside her and felt just about ready to explode any moment. Because he had the audacity to sit there and try to preach to her now.

“The challenges you face are no coincidence. They’re the will of God. He often takes when people least expect it, but that pain is often a test…” Joseph explained softly. "A test that will make you stronger at the end of everything.”

“I hate you so much. Do you honestly think that’s _comforting_ to hear?” Juli finally blurted out bitterly, her tolerance finally wearing too thin to stop her anymore. Her response seemed to take Joseph by surprise because he was quiet a moment.

“Why? Why do you hate me?” If his voice didn’t have such a constant cadence to it, he would’ve almost sounded upset at her words. Everything he said just had that gentle tone to it and anything else was indecipherable. “All I’ve ever tried to do is extend my wisdom to you. To help-”

“I don’t need your help, Joseph Seed! I’m not one of those stupid fuckin’ churchgoers that lets you just stick your insufferable fingers in my business!” The young woman snapped back before he could even guilt her into feeling bad for resisting his unwanted intentions.

If she was any denser, she’d curl up in his palm like everyone else in town, but she didn’t like people shoving their nose into her business. Let alone trying to shove their self-proclaimed help down her throat.

“Do you think that you were the first thing I wanted to see in the hospital? After I got mauled in the woods by myself? Did you think that you were the person I wanted to visit me!?” Juli’s words were filled with spite but lost steam quickly.

Joseph was respectfully silent as she spoke and soon she found herself without anything else to say.

Surprisingly enough, it was hard to argue with someone who was so passive. Juli had gotten into plenty of screaming matches before and won by a landslide, but even with how pissed she was, there was only so much she could yell at the man next to her.

Especially when he was considerately heading her words instead of snapping back like most people did. It was infuriating, but she could do nothing in response.

The silence from before returned tenfold and was nearly suffocating. Joseph didn’t speak up for several moments, hands a bit more tense on the wheel. Juli fixed him with a final glare before she turned back to the window, fist clenched tightly on the door.

When the older man finally did speak up, she had been expecting more bible bullshit, but she was thankfully spared from that.

“I wasn’t thinking. It was rude of me to force my way in like that..” His voice was soft and apologetic. If it wasn’t so horribly silent Juli likely wouldn’t have heard him. “You probably wished to be comforted by your family after such a stressful experience.”

It was like he completely doused her fire out and all the brunette could do was let out an irritated sigh. She couldn’t figure out if she had won or lost that argument with how quickly he admitted his fault. “Yeah, well, I don’t even have that fuckin’ luxury,” Juli muttered under her breath as the last of her bite sizzled out.

Joseph glanced at her again and she scowled, not turning to meet his eyes. “Are you no longer in contact with them?” The question was a simple, curious one before he turned back to the road.

“My dad passed just before you showed up. I don’t know where the fuck my mom is.” Juli explained thinly, seeing no point in hiding it. Joseph seemed surprised by the information, mulling over for a brief moment

“...So, you had no one.” He spoke up sympathetically, almost too hesitant to say. And the realization that statement brought hurt more than Juli had been expecting.

“..Pretty fuckin’ much.” The grief of those words twisted up inside her and Juli curled in on herself for comfort. Her arms wrapped defensively around her now, forcing back the unexpected tears that wanted well up until she felt sick.

“I deeply apologize. I didn’t know that-” Joseph’s hand left the wheel to reach out towards her, but just before his palm touched her shoulder he retracted it. “..I wasn’t thinking of your feelings, Ms. Jackson. I was only focused on my own well, but horribly placed intentions. I didn’t stop to consider that I might’ve been overstepping my boundaries.”

Juli didn’t respond, staying focused on the empty wilderness that passed them. Joseph felt it was only fair to leave her be for the rest of the ride, accepting the last ten minutes of silence to think.

When they pulled into Juli’s driveway, Joseph moved over to the passenger’s side to help her out of the truck, but she refused his help a second time.

As she stepped out of the truck, her whole body nearly jolted with the pain that shot up her leg. The anesthetics had finally worn off and the pain was worse than she had expected, but the young woman was far too stubborn to let it show.

Juli gritted her teeth and let the slight limp be her only give away to the extreme discomfort she was feeling.

“You can leave the keys in the truck..” The brunette was too exhausted to be hostile anymore, using all of her energy just to get to her house. Joseph watched her lean into her front door, John pulling into the dirt drive behind him.

“Juli.” Juli barely managed to stop in her doorway when she heard the older man call out to her, looking back at him over her shoulder.

“I’m sorry that I was the only one who came to see you,” Joseph said sincerely and Juli felt that horrible twist inside her again. She stood there waiting for whatever else he wanted to say, but he had climbed into John’s car without another word.

John cast a curious look in her direction before he pulled out of her driveway. His lips were moving as he spoke to Joseph in the car, but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

They were both long gone by the time Juli stumbled into her house and slammed the door behind her. Her whole body instantly sank to the floor, unable to bear standing anymore.

Every move she made caused her leg to twitch with burning pain and even the thought of trying to stand back up hurt. The only thing she could muster up the energy to do was fish her phone out of her pocket and scroll through contacts until she saw Rye.


	6. Road to Recovery

Nick had nearly tripped over Juli when he burst into her house in a half-awake panic. He ran right out to his truck the moment she had told him what happened, trying his best not to wake Kim as he stumbled frantically through the house.

It was practically three in the morning and Nick didn’t think twice about coming over.

The poor man looked nearly sick with worry when he saw his friend, kneeling down to help Juli to her feet. He let her lean all of her weight into him, standing on her side with the injured leg to properly brace all of her upright.

After all the stress and raw emotion of the day, his arms felt so comforting as they wrapped carefully around her. His words of reassurance and concern made that lonely pain in her chest violently twist until it was suffocating. 

And Juli burst into tears.

Nick had only really seen her cry twice in all the years they knew each other. Once for when  _ he _ had broken his leg when they were little and once when he brought her to see her father’s grave.

The dark-haired man wasn’t entirely sure what to do and he tried his best to comfort Juli as he supported her weight. It felt like a terrible moment of weakness, but she couldn’t stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Had Joseph Seed not come, no one would’ve visited her at the hospital that night. That realization  _ hurt  _ more than she ever thought it would. Nick and Kim were the only two people in all of Hope County that she had. 

And even they probably wouldn’t have heard about what happened until the morning if she had stayed at the hospital. It all felt so pathetic that Juli was nearly ashamed that such a thought actually managed to make her cry. 

When Nick asked in a startled voice what was wrong, she lied and blamed it on the pain in her leg. He moved a bit faster at that, helping her to her room so she could lay down and he could get some painkillers for her. Every shift to try to get comfortable on her bed only made the pain  _ worse _ no matter how gingerly she moved.

By the time Nick had returned with water and pills, she had given up. She took the painkillers, wiping her cheeks dry with her sleeve as she quietly asked if he could spend the night at her house. The last thing she wanted was to be alone.

“Of course, Jules. Lemme just let Kim know.” Nick had replied in a heartbeat and that made her feel just a little bit better.

The two of them had stayed up until Nick couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. He laid beside Juli in her bed, quietly snoring away as she stared at the ceiling. She didn’t get a lot of sleep that night and didn’t really mention it to Nick when he woke up.

The following morning, She and Nick realized very quickly how much of a handicap the bite wound really was. Juli practically couldn’t do anything on her own if it required moving her leg even a fraction. The wolf had managed to sink its fangs in pretty deep.

Thankfully for her, the Ryes happily offered themselves as her own personal caretakers. They basically lived with her until she was well enough to stand on her own, helping her get around her house and keeping her company.

Juli enjoyed it more than she wanted to admit, but it wasn’t because of all the special treatment she was getting. It felt nice that the big house wasn’t so empty for once, dulling that ache that was lingering inside her from that night she came home.

“Ya know,” Juli spoke up on one of the last days the Ryes stayed over, watching Kim collect up their dishes in the living room. Nick had some business back at the house, so he left a little bit before his wife, but Kim stuck around to make sure Juli really was feeling well enough to be on her own again.

They had been sitting together watching boring hunting shows and scoffing every time someone missed a shot. “You’d make a really good mom, Kim.” She said sincerely and the other woman stopped next to the couch to shoot her an incredulous look. 

“Oh, stop it,” Kim said with an almost scolding tone before continuing to the kitchen. 

“What!” Juli sat up more and leaned over the back of the couch, watching her through the archway to the other room. “I’m serious! You’ve been taking care of my sorry ass all week, I think I’d know what I’m talkin’ about.”

Kim looked humored at her comment, smiling as she slowly shook her head. “Don’t let Nick hear you say that. He’d be through the roof.” She told her as she placed the dishes in the sink and ran the tap. “I’d never hear the end of it.”

Juli smiled a little, leaning her head on her arms as the dark haired woman spoke. Watching her and Nick act so domestically around each other had really reminded her of her time with her father. When she was young and still had her little family. 

“Ah, you’re right. I don’t think Nick is quite ready to be a daddy yet- Well, a lovin’ one, yes, but responsible? Hardly.” There was a teasing tone to her words that made Kim laugh. Which she could only assume was an unsaid agreement on the woman’s part when she didn’t bother to correct the other.

Kim floated around and picked up a few stray things that Nick had left behind while Juli got ready herself. She was well overdue to go out into town again and, with extra people in the house, her food in her fridge was starting to dwindle. Juli was in a desperate need for some groceries and Kim needed to go back and help Nick with the plane. 

“Are you sure that you’re well enough to take care of yourself?” Kim had asked while Juli carefully pulled on her boots. There was a slight twinge of pain when she yanked her boot onto her injured leg, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been before.

The wound had mostly healed over and now only a few painkillers a day were enough to hold her over. Juli could even walk now without too much trouble. She’d only limp every now and then when she didn’t quite step right.

“Yes, mom. I’m sure.” Juli replied in a monotone, teasing voice at the woman’s concern. Which rightfully earned her a firm whack on the arm with one of Nick’s hats. 

“I told you to stop that!” Kim said in mock aggravation over Juli’s laughs, but there was a little hint of a grin on her face as she tugged the other into a hug. 

Kim nearly squeezed the life out of the brunette before she went out to her car. Juli waved to her as she pulled out of the driveway, setting out herself once the car disappeared from view.

After sitting around the house for so long it was nice to get out. The wind felt refreshing on Juli’s face as she drove and seeing the outside world again felt like a relief. If she had stayed in that house any longer she probably would’ve gone crazy. Even with the Rye’s company.

At that point, she would’ve forced herself to go out whether her leg was ready or not. The injury certainly made driving.. Interesting. The pressure of pressing down on the gas didn’t really feel amazing on her leg, although it wasn’t unbearable. 

It felt like she was straining a sore muscle, but it was dull enough that she was able to power through it to town with relative ease. She only needed to take a short break in her truck before going across the street to the store.

Out of the corner of her eye, Juli saw something familiar that caught her attention. When she glanced over to see what it was exactly, she picked her pace up a little bit. It was a car she immediately recognized.

It was Jacob Seed’s jeep. None of the brothers were nowhere to be seen around the parked vehicle, but if it was out in town then they likely were too. Or at least the oldest was.. But, then again, they hardly traveled alone half the time, so the brunette made sure to slip into the general store quickly.

Old Bonnie looked like she saw a ghost when her eyes laid upon Juli, shuffling around the counter to give the woman a hug. Word of the wolf attack had traveled quick around Hope like any news usually did. 

However, since a lot of the locals hadn’t  _ seen _ Juli since hearing about it, they had all started to assume that she might’ve died. Passed away alone in her house in the woods without anyone knowing any wiser. Things like that happened a lot around these parts, so it wouldn't have been too surprising.

Juli's hand loosely pat the older woman’s back and assured her that she was more than fine now. “Just got a chunk o’ me. Nothin’ too serious,” She assured the other with an awkward smile as a few more locals meandered their way over curiously. Most of them asked her about the wolf and a lot of them wanted to know if the bite hurt..

“What do you think?” Juli replied sarcastically to most of them, not really expecting to be an exhibit when she left her home. She humored a few of the questions the older people threw her way, but, after a few minutes of probing, they could tell that she really just wanted to get some groceries in peace.

A few were kind enough to offer to help her with her shopping, but Juli turned them down. She had spent the whole week being babied by the Ryes, so she really wanted her sense of personal responsibility back. The young woman didn’t really want things handed to her anymore.

Even with her bum leg, her trip didn’t take too long. Juli got what she wanted, checked out, and exchanged a brief goodbye with Old Bonnie before heading on her way. She intended to go home and spend the remainder of the day resting since the short outing was more than enough pushing for her..

However, Juli's truck seemed to be just as recognizable as the Seed brother’s jeep. By the time she had returned with groceries in hand, Jacob was leaning boredly against her vehicle as he peered into her backseat window. 

The young woman let out an inward groan. Although, seeing the man lingering around her truck wasn’t much of a surprise to her. Juli had just the _tiniest_ inkling that when she did finally go out to town that she’d run into one of the Seeds.

It just turned out to be the most bearable out of all of them, but that didn't mean she was pleased to see him in any regard. 

A fact which was openly shown by the way her face twisted in distaste when the other glanced up to see her approach. “Ouch. That’s an unpleasant expression.” Jacob commented, turning towards her as he stopped peeping in her truck. “You almost look unhappy to see me.”

“I would be more unhappy, but I was almost expecting this, so I guess this is the best I can muster,” Juli commented sarcastically in response, gesturing to her scowl before brushing past the man. Jacob didn’t seem deterred by her mild hostility, not moving from his spot as she opened her back door. 

The brunette tried to lean into her truck as carefully as she could, but the shift of her weight made a dull sting run up her calf. 

“That wolf really got you, huh?” Jacob commented when he saw her wince at the pain, eyeing her around the door. “Wolves are skilled and formidable killers... It’s a wonder that you made it out of the woods in one piece. What did you do to scare it off? Give it a nasty look?”

Juli dumped all of her groceries in the backseat before slamming the door shut to glare at the other properly. “That look. That one right there.” The older man pointed at her face as if to make a point, amusement gracing his features as her expression soured further.

“And how did  _ you _ know it was a wolf?” The brunette asked thinly, leaning against her truck as well. Although for her, it was more of a necessity than a casual lean, wanting to take as much weight off her leg as she could.

“I don’t know- Maybe I live with the guy that drove you home,” Jacob replied with blunt mocking, eyes trailing down to her leg. He watched her lift it slightly off the ground to alleviate some of the pressure that standing caused.

“I don’t know- Maybe the guy you live with should mind his own fuckin’ business.” Juli shot back with just as much spite as she had the night she got the ride home. One of her hands lowered into the man’s line of sight, snapping a few times to get his attention. “And my eyes are up here, buddy.”

Jacob gave a humored snort at her snapping fingers, eyes slowly raking up her body as his gaze returned to eye level. “You’re still mad about that?” It was pointless for the older man to ask. The look that Juli shot him expressed  _ very  _ clearly that she was still very mad about it.

“Wow, that’s almost as impressive as it is petty,” Jacob commented in mild surprise. Who knew someone could hold such a grudge over an act of kindness?

Juli let out a laugh at his comment, one that loosened the scowl that pinched her features. It was actually close to being genuine which was a rare sight. One that the older man knew he had the slightest privilege of seeing. 

“Your brother deserves every bit of pettiness I have in my body,” Juli said with a light jab the other’s way, a small grin of what could’ve been triumph on her face. Like she was  _ proud _ of how endlessly stubborn she was being towards Joseph. 

Jacob looked mildly amused himself at the comment despite the open distaste towards his brother. Honestly, her open and outward spite towards Joseph coupled with his brother’s efforts to be kind to her was an amusing tug of war to watch. 

It was like watching a dog attempting to befriend a cat by chasing it into a corner. Juli could be as angry as she wanted to be, but Joseph’s endless patience would always drown her out each time. Which in turn always just ended up pissing her off more. 

It would be an unwinnable situation to anyone but the persistent Father. Jacob knew at least that anyone  _ sane _ would’ve given up the chase ages ago.

“What do you want anyway, Seed?” Juli’s voice brought the older man back around from his thoughts. He looked at her as he lifted a hand to rest on his broad chest in a gesture of mock offense to her words.

“I can’t just see your truck in town and decide to say hi?” Jacob asked almost innocently for someone as grizzled as himself. And anyone dumb and trusting enough likely would’ve believed such an innocent inquiry as well.

“No. It’s always something with you fuckers. What do you want?” Juli replied with such an abrupt bluntness that it managed to get a laugh out the older man this time. He turned more towards her, leaning his shoulder into the truck.

“Alright. You caught me red handed. Here,” Jacob said with a hint of amusement still in his tone, reaching a hand into his back pocket. 

Juli watched him curiously, brows raising in surprise when he produced what looked like a present. It was a medium-sized object wrapped in light yellow paper with a folded note taped to the top of it. 

“This is for you.” He said when he presented it.   
  
“You… Got me a gift?” Juli asked in surprise after gawking at it for several moments. She was almost too taken aback to grab it out of the other’s hand, hesitantly reaching out to it after a moment.

“You wish.” Jacob scoffed teasingly at the woman. “It’s from Joseph.”    
  
Juli’s hand stopped immediately upon hearing the other Seed brother’s name. “From Joseph.” She repeated thinly, hand retracting back entirely like it was poison. 

The gift was suspiciously book shaped and she shot the older man a pointed look.

“I swear it isn’t a bible,” Jacob said as if he could read her thoughts so clearly, holding it out closer to her. “I watched him wrap it.”

Juli pursed her lips as he practically shoved it under her nose. As if to make a point, she didn’t take it for several moments. 

When she finally did, she carefully peeled the note off the front, tucking the present under her arm to open it. Inside she was met with the most disgustingly perfect handwriting she had ever seen in her entire life.

 

_ I deeply apologize again for my inconsiderate actions. I hope this gift brings you solace when you are feeling alone since you have yet to accept the comfort of God. _

_ ~Joseph Seed _

 

Juli scrutinized the note for several moments before looking up at Jacob. “It’s definitely a bible.” She said in an annoyed, flat tone.

“It’s  _ not _ .” Jacob sounded exasperated as he insisted a second time. “Just open the damn thing.”

Juli huffed as she shoved the note into her back pocket, taking the present out from under her arm to passive-aggressively rip the wrapping off. She had to be the most unhappy person ever to receive a gift in Hope County.

However, once the wrapping was torn away, she stopped. The sour look immediately wiped off her face as she was met with the cover of the book. It was one she knew quite well, having seen it nearly a hundred times.

_ Journey to Happiness _ was etched into the light green cover with dark blue script style letters. Below it was a picture of a man with a hiking pack sitting among the trees with the author’s name under it in the deep blue color.

This was Will’s favorite book. He’d always pick it up when things weren’t looking too good, something of a small comfort for him to read. There were several chapters Juli knew so well because he’d used to read them softly to her to extend that comfort when she was upset.   
  
“How- How the hell-” Juli almost couldn’t find the words, feeling as though she had been run over. She had nearly dropped the book entirely when she saw the cover, holding it away from herself like it might bite her.

“Your father’s a very popular man around these parts. Joseph didn’t really need to ask a lot of people to figure out what he was like.” Jacob explained as he tapped the cover of the book with a finger. “A lot of people said he liked this book, so Joseph thought you might want a copy.”

Juli looked completely floored, gawking at the gift in her hands. She didn’t know if she wanted to chuck it to the ground or if she wanted to hug it to her chest. There was a sea of mixed emotions going through her and she wasn’t entirely sure how to feel.   
  
“Well? You still alive in there?” Jacob’s big hand waved in front of her face, breaking her eyes away from the cover. Juli felt the pink blush crawling across her cheeks as she tried to scramble for what to say.   
  
“This doesn’t change anythin'- He’s still a giant asshole.” The young woman blurted out in an attempt to cover up the slow embarrassment she felt creeping over her. She held up the book in front of the other. “This is  _ clearly _ a bribe.” Jacob seemed to scoff and roll his eyes at her comment.   
  
“I’ll be sure to tell him that.” He replied with an exasperated-sounding huff to his voice. It held a hint of disappointment, but perhaps that was partially for Joseph’s sake. 

Juli seemed to pause a moment as she regarded to book a second time, fingers almost tracing the cover. “Good. And when you do… tell ‘em.. thanks.. I guess,” She awkwardly muttered under her breath before tucking the book under her arm.

Jacob eyed her carefully at her quick, dismissive thanks, watching her body language as she spoke. That response would make Joseph a little more happy to hear. 

“Will do,” Jacob said with a small smirk gracing his features, looking almost pleased with himself. Although, it was fairly short-lived.

“Well, if it isn’t dogmeat!” John’s voice made Juli’s blood pressure instantly rise, her face twisting into an impressively disgruntled expression. 

Jacob sighed across from her, crossing his arms over his chest as the hint of the smirk disappeared from his features.

The brunette moved to turn on her heel and face the smug bastard, but her movements were halted by the man’s arm nearly clotheslining her as it took perch across her shoulders.

Juli took a long deep breath and closed her eyes. “John Seed- You have about ten seconds to take your sleazy arm off my shoulders before I elbow you,” The brunette gave the man a thin warning, fist clenching on the arm closest to him.   
  
John let a scoff that sounded offended at her words, shooting the woman pressed into his side a look. “Sleazy-” He had started to object, but his ten seconds were up. Juli curled her arm forward before driving it back elbow-first into the other’s stomach.

It was a hard blow, but not nearly as hard as she  _ could’ve _ made it. Still, it was strong and firm enough to sent the man stumbling a few steps away from her. Across from them, Jacob looked a little exasperated as he shook his head.

“Oho- You think you’re  _ real cute _ , don’t you?” John hissed through his teeth once he regained his composure, taking the steps to close the space between them again. He sneered down at her, hand resting where she had drilled her elbow into him.

“Yeah, I do. My daddy used to say that I have pretty eyes.” Juli replied bluntly back to the man, not intimidated as he loomed over her. Her reciprocating glare was challenging him to retaliate as she stood firmly in her place.

John’s hand flexed carefully at his side as the annoyance grew ever more prominent on his features. “John.” Jacob cut in with a warning. When the younger man didn’t respond, he repeated a bit more aggressively, “ _ John. _ ”

“What?” John snapped at the man, finally looking away from Juli to glare at his brother. The older man narrowed his eyes back at him.   
  
“Not now,” Jacob said firmly. John started to protest angrily, arm gesturing towards the woman before him, but the older man simply repeated once more. “Not. Now.”

“...You’re off the hook for now, Jackson.” John informed Juli with a forced smile, turning on his heel to join his brother almost bitterly. Juli laughed mockingly at his words. 

“Oh, I’m  _ off the hook _ , am I?” She scoffed at him, shaking her head in near disbelief. “Off the hook from what exactly?”

John sucked in a sharp breath, seeming to be ready to snap back with his own taunting, but Jacob’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. Watching the younger two bicker was interesting and maddening all at once. 

Jacob could just sit back and watch the two continue to have volatile reactions to one another. It could be an all-day show if anyone left the two to their own devices.

However, as endlessly interesting as that could be, they didn’t have all day. Joseph wanted his older brother to tag down Juli, give her the book, and that was all. 

Jacob doubted that the younger man would be too pleased if John’s usual shit starting made backward progress on the careful step he took to apologize. He and the stubborn woman were already playing a careful game. 

Joseph was trying his damndest to coax Juli close enough to convince her of their ways, but she just kept taking steps back before he could. Even now, Juli had already started to back towards the edge of patience with John’s mere presence. 

Jacob’s grip tightened on his younger brother as a silent warning and that only made the other tenser. John looked very close to expressing some likely unpleasant words but seemed to stop himself when something caught his eye just over Jacob’s shoulder.

“Hey.” John’s tone was oddly calm again as he tapped his knuckles against the other’s shoulder, nodding off down the street. Jacob glanced in the direction that he nodded in, eyes trailing down the street.

Juli had to stand on her toes a bit to see over the tall men’s shoulders, wincing slightly as she felt the strain in her leg. Her eyes curiously searched for what they were looking at, but there weren’t many people out. It was the middle of a weekday, so most people were working...

Except the young woman perched on the wooden fence that circled the liquor store. It was Rachel Jessop, lighting the end of a cigarette with a shaky hand. She was far worse than she had been the last time Juli saw her, looking like a mess that was barely holding itself together.

Rachel stuck out on the mostly empty street like a sad eyesore, but Juli assumed that the dark haired man couldn’t be talking about her. At least until John said quietly as he looked at his brother, “That’s Rachel Jessop.”

Jacob nodded at John’s words, hand lifting to thoughtfully touch his beard. The two were oddly calm and silent all of the sudden, seeming to exchange words through glances rather than speaking to one another. 

“You two know her?” Juli broke the silence, bringing their attention back to her. Jacob eyed the sudden shift in her posture, watching her uncomfortably wrap her arms around herself. The atmosphere had shifted quickly and all of her irritation from before had fizzled out.

“Not exactly. Not on personally, at least.” John replied honestly, looking like he cooled down quite a bit himself. It would’ve been hard to believe the two were nearly ready to tear out each other’s throats a moment ago. “A lot of the people coming to church have told us about her. They’ve been asking Joseph if he can help her.”

“Whitehorse has already tried to help her multiple times.. What could Joseph possibly do?” Juli sounded more than doubtful. What could he do that Whitehorse couldn’t? Brainwash Rachel with senseless religion? Nag her until she stopped? Be disappointed in her actions until she felt bad?   
  
Jacob didn’t agree in the slightest with the younger woman’s disbelief. “A lot.” He said bluntly in response, seeming to have a lot of faith in his brother’s capabilities.

John did too, nodding in agreement with the older man. He already seemed to have his mind made up, straightening himself out a bit. Rachel wasn’t going anywhere fast, content to sit on the fence and smoke, but the two didn’t seem to want to miss the opportunity.

“Well, I’d hate to cut such a lovely visit short, but we really should go talk to her while she’s here. It’d be really annoying to try and tag her down again.” The young man pointed out, giving Juli a half-assed wave as he headed down the street.

Jacob let him go on ahead and turned to Juli. His eyes watched her carefully, looking like he wanted to say something, but.. “I’ll see you around, Jack.” He lifted his hand to rap his knuckle on her backseat window. “If you ever want that fixed, let me know.”

And with that, the older man followed after his brother. Juli peeked into her truck where Jacob had been staring when she approached him, eyes falling on her father’s rifle. Still broken and covered in dry blood as it sat sadly on the backseat. 

A frown pressed on her face as she took one final glance down the street. John was already talking to Rachel, a smirk on his face as he chatted with her animatedly. Jacob joined his side with crossed arms as Rachel looked between the two of them.

The younger woman looked a bit bewildered by their presence but didn’t seem to be outwardly rejecting them. If anything, she almost looked a bit more hopeful, a little more alive as John spoke to her.

Juli wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good thing or not, but she didn’t think too hard about it. She simply climbed into her truck, tossing the book from Joseph onto the passenger's seat. The young woman exchanged one last brief glance with the older man down the street before heading home.


	7. Common Ground

“A barbeque?” Juli asked skeptically, hopping up onto her counter. She sat with her feet swaying idly as she leaned her mop against the cabinets below.

“Yeah, one of those big ones. Kim’s been plannin’ it for a while.” Nick’s voice floated out of the speaker of her phone as she balanced it carefully in her hand. “Ya know, where everyone shows up and brings their own shit. Most of the people in the area are swingin’ by.”

Juli pursed her lips, considering the offer for a moment as she looked around her kitchen. It was mostly cleaned. She needed to finish mopping the floors, but if she got that done then she could make something. 

That way, she got it out of the way now rather than later and then she didn’t need to worry about it when the barbeque came around. She could just heat it up and bring it. “Hmm.. Sure. I’ll come.” Juli agreed after a moment of thought. “When is it?”

There was a pause on the other line. One that was long enough that Juli nearly asked if Nick was still there, but he eventually spoke up. “...At three.” He said a little nervously.

“At three? When?” Juli asked again, brows drawing together in mild confusion. There was more silence on the other line and it dawned on her what he meant. “....At three today?”

“...Maybe.” Nick said in such a strained voice that the young woman could practically  _ hear _ the shame in his tone.   
  
“ _ Nick Rye _ .” There was partial disbelief and plenty of scolding as Juli spoke up. She didn’t even need to utter more than his name for him to realize just how unhappy she was.   
  
“I know- I  _ know _ ! I meant to tell you sooner, but Kim and I got so wrapped up coordinatin’ with Mary that some of the invitations just kinda slipped right over my head!” Nick scrambled to blurt out his reasons, sounding apologetic as he did so. “Pleeeaasee, Jules! It won’t be the same if you don’t come!”

“Oh? Really? Yet I’m not important enough to remember to invite?” Juli shot sarcastically at the phone, nearly pouting a little bit. Nick continued to beg for forgiveness (and for her to come) as she mulled over what she could do.

It was nearly noon now and Nick was damn lucky that she loved him. “I’ll go, but there’s a good chance I’m goin’ to be  _ late _ .” Juli sounded exasperated as she hopped down from her counter, picking her cleaning bucket up off the floor.

“Aw, thanks, Jules! Kim’ll be real happy to see you there!” Nick sounded relieved despite the slightly negative confirmation, almost bouncing back immediately. “There’ll be plenty of booze and good food! I swear!”

“Uh-huh.  _ Sure _ , Nick. See you there, you big idiot,” Juli said in a teasingly affectionate tone before hanging up her phone. A sigh left her as she looked around at her half clean kitchen, dumping the watered down bleach in her bucket down the drain. “So much for cleaning..”

Hauling all of her cleaning supplies back into the closet, Juli tried to prep what she intended to make as quickly as she could. The easiest thing to do (albeit a little time-consuming cooking wise) was stew. 

Will had an old recipe that he got from his parents a long, long time ago before passing it onto his only child. And Juli knew that recipe like the back of her hand. It was the perfect last minute fix for Nick’s negligence to let her know about the party.

Which, fortunately for him, worked out perfectly. Not only did she manage to make the stew, Juli also had enough time to actually take a shower and dress up a little for the party. All while being just on time- Give or take a handful minutes.

It was about mid-summer, so the heat was really starting to set in and make it hard to stay relatively cool. You needed to open up just about every window if you didn’t want your house to turn into an oven and even then it was only mildly comfortable. 

In this kind of weather, it didn’t take a lot to make you feel gross. If Juli hadn’t taken a shower, she would’ve been covered in sweat and grime from cleaning most of the morning.. And she would’ve been far less happy than she was currently walking up to the Rye’s house.

The front yard was filled with cars and trucks that didn’t really give one the proper idea of just  how many people showed up. Juli carefully weaved through them, hearing shouts and cheers from behind the house. They only grew louder the closer she got.

The Rye’s huge, spacious yard was filled with tables of food and people. Practically half the town showed up to be rowdy and stuff their faces. People were celebrating like it was a huge family reunion- If your family was about a fourth of Hope County, that is.

The first time Juli ever went to one of these the turn out had taken her by surprise, but now she was wondering where everyone else was. The Ryes certainly had the room, so there had to be more guests coming down the line. If she actually had shown up late, she probably wouldn’t have been able to even get a parking spot in the front.

“Aw, don’t you look cute!” Nick hollered happily when he finally saw the brunette making her way around the house. He moved through the group he had been chatting with to meet the other with a big smile on his face.

Juli did a mock little curtsy as best she could with the big pot of stew in her hands. Considering these occasions were often this big, she figured she might as well look nice. While she normally leaned more towards jeans and flannel, she did have a few sundresses tucked away.

They were all from her father since she didn’t really buy those kinds of clothes. Will had tried to fuel her ‘girlier’ side by buying her a few dresses and even some make-up, but Juli only used them sparingly. 

The poor man was probably doing his best to make up for her lack of a mother figure by getting her those things, so she didn’t toss them out entirely. Although, they didn’t really get pulled out unless it was a special occasion and she felt like making herself all pretty.

Juli didn’t go all out for the barbeque, but she did throw on one of her favorite sundresses. It was a cheerful, bright yellow with a sparse pattern of white flowers and a skirt stopped just above her knee. The young woman hadn’t bothered with make-up given the time constraints, but she did pull her short hair back into a ponytail. It was just long enough to do so. 

“I wanted to look all prettied up when I shoved my boot up your ass!” Juli called back to the man in a chipper tone, almost laying an extra girly lilt for a comedic sake. “Come here, Rye!”

Nick was hardly deterred by her words. He even humored her joke by turning around to give her a clear shot, laughing when she did give him a light kick on the ass. “I deserve that!” He agreed happily with her, courteously taking the pot out of her hands.

“You deserve more than that, but you’re family, so you get off easy.” Juli pointed out with a grin, giving the other a light punch on the arm. She walked alongside Nick as he made his way over to the closest table, looking at all the people mingling, boozing, and eating. “This is a pretty good turnout for someone who forgot some invitations.”

“Anything that worked out well here was all Kim. Anything that  _ didn’t _ was probably me.” Nick joked as he set down the stew, taking the lid off the pot. He looked thrilled as he stirred it slowly with the ladle she left in. “This smells amazing, Jules. Thank you so much for bringing this.”

“Eh, it was nothin’. It was the easiest thing I could make, it's nothin' special. ‘Sides, you look like you got plenty of pretty good food here, anyways,” Juli pointed out with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. The table was covered in a spread of all sorts of dishes and whatever tablespace that wasn’t taken up by food was taken up by people.

It looked like a pretty successful party to her, but the look the man gave her indicated that maybe not  _ all _ the food was so great. “Seriously? What kind of crap did people bring now?” Juli asked curiously at the look of disdain on Nick’s face. He gestured for her to follow him as he made his way over to one of the other tables.

A few of the locals happily greeted her as they passed, stopping by the stew to grab a bowl. Juli waved to them and followed Nick over to a pot that looked mostly untouched.  “Oh my god…” Juli commented in distaste as she stirred the pasta in the pot around with the spoon provided for it. It was the saddest excuse macaroni and cheese that she had ever seen in her life. “Are you serious?”

Honestly, it outdid all of her failed attempts in her tween years by how watery and unappealing it was. Nick could only shake his head in slow disapproval as she investigated the food unhapily. It  _ barely _ passed as something that could get someone in the barbeque, let alone something people could  _eat_.

And when it was a local gathering and the one thing you  _ needed  _ to do was bring food to come, it was pretty pathetic. 

“Who’s the dumbass that brought this?” The younger woman asked as she dropped the spoon back into the pot, wiping her hands off on her skirt. Usually, people who couldn’t cook brought booze to substitute, so there was simply no excusing this.

“Who do you think?” Nick asked with a scoff as he crossed his arms. Juli took a moment to look at the party around her, doing a brief skim of the people laughing and having a good time.

“Was it Jim Bradshaw?” The young woman asked after some harsh scrutiny of the crowd, eyes narrowing on a middle-aged man who was just a bit  _ too _ loud even for a party. Probably already drunk. “Because Mary May has banned him from going anywhere near a stove for this exact reason- That, and, he nearly burnt his damn house down.”

“Good guess, try again, Jules,” Nick replied with a flat tone, slowly shaking his head. His eyes set in a certain direction that the woman tried to follow.

“...Drubman?” Juli had pursed her lips after some thought, waving her hand towards the booze table in the other’s line of sight. She could’ve sworn she caught a glimpse of the older man over there with his son when she walked in and they were god awful at cooking.

“Nope. He was smart and brought drinks because he knows he can’t cook worth a damn.” The other replied curtly as he grabbed Juli’s shoulders. “Here. You’ll get a kick out of this.” 

Nick steered her to the side a bit, shuffling her over a foot or so. Juli was able to see the outskirts of the party where the less rowdy groups huddled together from this spot. They were the ones that usually showed up for the food, but not necessarily the company of the other locals. 

Juli didn’t quite catch who Nick was trying to make her pin down at first. There were too many people to even count, so, after a moment, he pointed to the ones responsible. And lo and behold, it was the Seeds. 

Which the brunette wasn’t really that fucking surprised when she saw it was them.   
  


. . . 

 

A party was a really nice way to save face for the locals, but none of the men were really necessarily enjoying the party itself. 

Out of the three, John and Jacob were competing for who was the most bored to tears. Jacob just knew how to hide it a bit better than his youngest sibling. 

The moment people would leave their company, John would groan and scowl. His comments about how terrible the food and drinks were looked like they were nowhere close to ending. 

Joseph gently chastising him to stop only made him mumble his complaints a bit more quietly. Before flashing a fake and extra charming smile to whoever decided to stop by and say hello next. 

Joseph was far better at the whole ordeal. It likely was easier for him since half the people present liked him quite a bit, but he also had a very eloquent way of speaking to people which helped him a great deal. 

Everyone walked away with a smile on their face after seeing the brothers… Although, there was  _ one _ person that was outwardly unhappy to see the men. One who was  _ always _ outwardly unhappy to see the three of them.

Jacob spotted the young woman from a mile away, brows raising in mild surprise at the unusually bright color she was sporting. 

Her whole outfit was.. Interesting, given her usual apparel. It was a little girlier than what he’d expect her to be wearing in the next century. Honestly, the only thing really giving away that it was Juli was the scowl on her face as she stomped her way over to the three. 

There wasn’t really anyone who could come close to making  _ that _ sour expression.

The older man wasn’t particularly keen on playing bait that day. His night had been pretty fitful and the party itself was already draining enough. 

Being run thin by a fiery, snappy woman wasn’t really something that was all too appealing to him at the moment.

“Jack incoming.” The older man slipped to his brothers in a half-assed kind of warning. He took up his drink and even went as far to swipe John’s before making his tactical retreat, throwing the other two under the bus, so to speak.

Both of them looked rather confused at his sudden leave, watching him with surprise until they had a sudden, accusatory finger jabbed into their chests. Which made the two snap their attention immediately to the woman before them with her hands firmly on her hips. 

There was a pause of awkward and tense silence until the most diplomatic of the group decided to speak up.

“Hello, Miss Jackson,” Joseph spoke up for the two of them, using his usual pleasant approach despite the other’s clearly aggressive stance. “You look rather nice-”

“Uh-huh.” Juli almost immediately cut the man off, pointing the same accusing finger back up at them. “Which one of you fucks is responsible now? Huh?”

John let out a scoff at her drilling question, shaking his head as he did so. “What? What’re you on about now-” He had started with a mocking laugh, but the young woman reeled around and even stopped him.

“The macaroni. What else would it be?” Juli shot back bluntly at him like he committed a heinous crime. They might as well have given the standards for such gatherings in the Hope County. “You do realize if you bring something it has to be fuckin’ edible, right?”

“I hate to break it to you, Jackson, but it’s food.” John replied almost immediately, nearly in a defensive way. His mild amusement of the situation quickly disappeared as the woman rounded with her response. "You know, that stuff that's usually edible?"

“Yeah, but you have to bring food people would want to  _ eat _ , smartass.” Juli scowled right back at the man as he glared at her. “Gross, half-assed, watery macaroni is  _ not _ edible. Have neither of you been in a  _ kitchen _ before? How do you fuck up mac and cheese?”

Juli could just see John’s patience flying out of the stratosphere while Joseph seemed to shift awkwardly beside him. For a man in his forties, he looked pretty close to a fumbling, kicked puppy. Neither seemed to have the answer for her.

“How do you know it wasn’t Jacob?” John seemed content to avoid the answer to the question, shooting his own her way.

“Because Jacob would’ve just flat out admitted it was him and probably would’ve been  _ happy _ at how many people he’s pissed off,” Juli replied undeterred by the possibility. Which only seemed to make the two men in front of her even more uncomfortable.

It was  _ clearly _ one of them based on the looks on their faces, but she wasn’t going to get the answer out of them this century. Regardless of how hard she grilled them.

While neither of them were eager to answer, another person was. They gently took up Juli’s hand and gave it a squeeze, earning her full attention almost immediately. Albeit, her head had whipped around to snap at whoever it was, but she stopped.

Her eyes widened in mild surprise when she was face to face with Rachel Jessop. Someone who she hadn’t seen since John and Jacob had tagged her down in town. The younger woman gave her smile and she was shocked at how  _ alive _ it actually looked.

For once, it looked like she was looking at a person. “It was me,” Rachel admitted with such ease and humility that the other woman wasn’t sure how to respond at first. “I’m sorry... I tried my best, but it’s been awhile since I’ve cooked anything.”

Juli stared at the woman like she couldn’t believe her eyes, fumbling over her words a moment as she gawked. Her eyes still looked a bit tired and her skin still a little pale, but Rachel looked together for once. Like she suddenly opened her eyes and started walking again.

“I- Well- I suppose that’s not your fault.” Juli finally replied with an awkward smile, but in the back of her mind swore off the excuse. She knew it was one of the older men and Rachel was so obviously covering their ass for them. 

Juli wasn’t quick to say anything, but she kept that in mind for future blackmail towards the Brothers. She could be malicious towards them all she wanted, but even she wasn’t cruel enough to knock someone like Rachel down.

Not after seeing the husk of what she used to be just mere weeks ago.

John was even quick to use Rachel interjection into the conversation as a means of escape. The moment Juli’s attention was stolen, he took off. The darker haired of the two was long gone by the time she glanced back towards the brothers.

Joseph was the last brother standing, looking quite relieved that Rachel seemed to jump to his rescue. Juli’s drop in hostility for once was nice and he supposed it was because she held a bit more trust in someone unrelated to them. Technically.

“Rachel wanted to come with us to the barbeque and offered to bring the food.”  _ Liar _ , Juli’s mind shot back as the older man spoke, continuing as he gestured to Rachel. “She’s been spending quite a bit of time with us and has been making wonderful strides in her life.”   
  
Joseph was almost  _ too _  happy for the subject change, but even Juli lightened up at his words. When Jacob and John said he had intentions of helping Rachel, she didn’t believe for a second he’d be able to do it.

In fact, she thought he’d make it  _ worse _ . Religion and drug abuse never mixed well... But he proved her wrong. In front of her was living proof of his accomplishment as Rachel smiled and squeezed Juli’s hand again.

The older woman didn’t rip it out of her grasp like she would’ve to most. While she wasn't thrilled to have someone else dragged into the Seed's ring, she was actually happy to see Rachel get the help she needed.

“Joseph has helped me so much. I’ve been attending his sermons- They’ve really helped me work through a lot of things.” Rachel happily shared with the other, looking only slightly somber as she continued. “I haven’t been out begging for days and I never intend to again.. I was actually hoping to see you because I wanted to apologize for heckling you for money..”

“It’s- It’s alright, really. You really couldn’t help it, so it’s not your fault.” Juli pressed her lips together as she paused. She wasn’t really good with her words when it came to encouragement towards others. “I’m happy for you. Working through that sort of shit is tough... I hope you come out on the right end of it all.”

The brunette seemed to consider her actions before awkwardly lifting her free hand to rest it over Rachel’s. Rachel in return lit up with the brightest smile, nearly squeezing the life out of the hand she still clutched.

“I will. I know that for sure with the Father’s help.” Rachel assured her as she looked at Joseph and Juli tried her hardest not to scowl at the title. “It’ll be hard and likely not rewarding, but I’m going to try my best.”

“Good. You’ll be able to do it.” Juli said with a nod before carefully prying her hand free from the other woman’s grip. “And, while you’re at it, why don’t you try some  _ real _ food? That sorry excuse for mac and cheese doesn’t even come close to what I brought. Why don’t you take some pointers?”

The older woman’s sarcastic tone returned to her voice, nodding in the direction of the table where her stew was. She directed a pointed look Joseph’s way before doing so, one that so clearly expressed her lack of belief in Rachel’s claim to making the food.

“It’ll be gone if you don’t hurry,” Juli added with plenty of confidence when Rachel idled, looking off in the direction she pointed out. Rachel perked up with amusement, flashing Joseph a smile before taking up the other’s suggestion.

The younger woman seemed to float away, so happy and light on her feet that she could’ve easily been flying. Rachel was a light breeze of life in comparison to the unmoving husk she used to be as she left Juli and Joseph to themselves.

There was a silence that hung over the two once they were left alone. It wasn’t tense or heavy, but just the presence of it was enough to make the older man shift on his feet. Neither of them had spoken to each other directly since that night he drove her home, after all-

Joseph couldn’t keep himself from jumping slightly at the sudden punch to his upper arm. It actually was quite firm and nearly hard enough to leave a bruise. It left a sting too.

“Color me surprised. You actually did help Rachel Jessop.” The woman beside him spoke up after the ‘congratulatory’ hit to the arm, her tone toeing the line of light mocking. “I suppose you can do  _ one _ thing right, Church Boy.”

When Joseph looked over at the other he was met with a surprise of his own. Juli’s eyes were trailing after Rachel as she made her way to the other side of the yard, her face lighting up with a smile. 

One that was so genuine and warm that it felt like the man was looking at the  _ sun _ . Joseph almost couldn’t help himself, taking in the rare sight as if he’d never see it again. It was as lovely as he thought it’d be.

It wasn’t forced or aggressive. Just a soft and real smile that let a little bit of Juli truly shine through. With her hair pulled out of her face and the bright color of her dress, she just looked… Lovely. It was a wonderful privilege to bask in it for a moment.

“Some people just need a little Faith to get by..” Joseph finally spoke up when the silence hung in the air again, gaze still lingering on her face. His eyes trailed over her features, watching the way her lips quirked to the side in a sarcastic sort of smirk. 

And when she turned towards him, he looked away innocently like he hadn’t been looking her way at all. 

“You’re so insufferable.” The way she said the insult came off endearing in a way, not nearly as malicious as it normally would. “This is a  _ party _ . Can you even drop the annoying priest shit for that? Do you even know how to have any fun without bringin’ up God’s agenda, Seed?”

Joseph had been nervous for a moment, sucking in a sharp breath when the woman spoke up, but slowly released it when it was just her usual complaints. She hadn’t caught him staring, thankfully. 

“I suppose not.” The older man admitted with a soft laugh, awkwardly adjusting his yellow sunglasses. He was enjoying the light conversation a little more than he should. Even if it was still Juli pointing a finger at him. It was far more pleasant than all their other interactions thus far. 

And the younger woman seemed to be humored when he ducked his head almost guiltily at the accusation, letting out an amused snort behind her hand. His eyes slowly trailed over her as he did so, gaze dipping down to look at her leg.

Which brought up the curious thought out of the man. “How is your leg?” Joseph latched onto a subject, not really wanting to scare off the woman so easily.  This was such a small step, but a step regardless. He couldn’t think of any other time they’ve ever share a civil conversation- Or really talked for more than a handful of minutes at a time.

“Hm? Oh, this..” Juli mumbling in surprise as she looked down at her own leg, sticking it out a bit as she did. It was almost as if the injury had slipped her mind. She turned it slightly to show her calf to the other and the man nearly winced at the sight. 

The scar the wolf had left behind was nearly as gruesome as some of the scars the man had seen on his oldest brother. They were ragged rakes in the younger woman’s calf that left painful looking grooves in her tan skin. 

The wounds were closed by now and the stitches mostly gone, but they had a pink to them that made them look so fresh still.   
  
“Pretty ugly, huh?” The brunette asked bluntly when the other didn’t respond, getting him to slowly shake his head. His gaze lingered on her mauled calf before slowly trailing up her body to look at her in the eyes.

“No. I think..” Joseph paused thoughtfully, selecting his words carefully before speaking. Juli straightened up as he thought, narrowing her eyes at him when he before he spoke again. “I think it adds character. Shows strength.”   
  
There was a silence that hung in the air before Juli lifted her hands. She clapped for a moment and- if an emotion could even be added to the action- she somehow did it sarcastically. Like a brief, unenthusiastic applause.   
  
The older man wasn’t entirely sure how to take the action at first. “What?” Joseph asked in partial confusion, brows drawing together.

“Oh, nothing. I’m just impressed.” Juli commented in such a quaint tone that it was almost teasing in a way. “I thought you were going to say some religious shit, but you didn’t. Good job. Looks like you  _ can _ learn a thing or two, Seed.”

“You can read me like an open book, Miss Jackson,” Joseph said with the softest hint of amusement to his voice. Though there was a bit of heaviness to his words all the same.   
  
“Mhm. It’s not all that hard, though.” Juli replied confidently, but there was so much she didn’t know. That she had only really scratched the surface of the front that the man put on for the people around him.

“Juli!!” Nick hollered from across the yard, waving his arms towards them with a big, dumb grin on his face. Juli looked away from Joseph and saw Kim was shaking her head beside her husband, her face in one of her hands. 

“I was tellin’ Jim about last New Years! I told him you could drink circles ‘round him and he thinks I’m talking shit!” The younger man shouted at her, enthusiastically waving her over to prove the other wrong. “I told him he’s a fuckin’ coward  and he wants to see it for himself!”   
  
“He wouldn’t know the truth if it smacked him in the face!” Juli hollered back almost immediately, perking up at the thought of a challenge. “My grandma could chug drinks faster than you, Bradshaw! I’ll show you who’s talkin’ shit!”

The brunette started up, ready to bolt across the lawn to defend her ‘crown’, but stopped dead in her tracks just as soon as she gained momentum. She turned slowly on her heel to look back at Joseph, who looked a bit bewildered by the whole exchange and even more so at her sudden take-off. It felt.. Odd to just leave him like that.

Juli tried to think of what to say but paused as the realization dawned over her. 

This was the first normal conversation they had shared and it was foreign to leave on such a pleasant note for once. Usually, she was scowling and storming off by now, so she wasn’t really sure how to say goodbye.

“Yeah, so... Uh... Duty calls and what not.” Juli said awkwardly to the other when she scrambled together the words, pointing to Joseph as she slowly walked back towards Nick. “Try not to ruin anyone’s fun and uh... I’ll see you around, Seed.” 

As much as she preferred she wouldn’t, she had a feeling that she eventually would regardless of how she felt.

“Enjoy the party, Miss Jackson,” Joseph replied respectfully, smiling softly as he watched the woman turn on her heel. She tore across the yard and Nick met her with a drink, excitedly declaring the grounds of their little competition.

The chaotic glee quickly unfolded as the two ‘contestants’ tapped their bottles together and started chugging. The partially drunk onlookers started to enthusiastically chant  _ Chug Chug Chug _ until one of the two finished downing drink.

It was Juli who ended up finishing first. She held the empty beer bottle triumphantly above her head several seconds before the older man she was up against... Before promptly throwing it full force to the ground. 

The glass bottle shattered in several pieces, but the people around the two didn’t care. They broke out into rowdy cheering, clapping for the unsurprising victor of the little drunken stand-off. People nudged at the man who had lost teasing while Nick threw a proud arm over a sneering Juli.

Joseph watched the spectacle from his spot, gaze trained on the young woman in the yellow dress as she laughed. She stuck out her tongue and teased the man she beat, wrapping an arm around Nick’s waist. He only vaguely acknowledged Jacob when he felt him lightly nudge his shoulder. 

“You just about ready to leave? John’s grabbing Rachel and looks like he's going to drive off without us.” He told Joseph bluntly, nodding his head in the direction of the youngest Seed sibling. Who looked more than ready to leave as he tagged down Rachel.

“..Yes, I am.” Joseph said before following his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder as he passed him.“I think coming here was a very wise choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back at school! Not taking classes, but I work as a student leader in a success program. Soooo updates will be spread out, but I'm having a lot of fun writing this so there is definitely more to come! c'':


	8. Pressure

Juli wasn’t sure what she was doing, but she was very aware of exactly how  _ stupid _ it was when she yanked the church doors open. Her face scrunched up in disgust when the air that blew in her face from within was hotter than the sun beating down on her back.

Who in their right mind would go to a musty, old building with no air conditioning? In  _ this _ near heat-stroke worthy heat? Either Joseph was a literal embodiment of God’s voice or everyone just showed up to squirm in their seats over the sweat dripping off his brow.

Regardless, half the people that went to this damn place were well over the age of forty, so it felt like a near health violation to not have paramedics on hand. 

It looked like they tried to make up for it by leaving the lights off to give off the  _ illusion _ that it was a bit cooler inside. Which it honestly didn’t with the sun slowly cooking the building to oven temperatures.

Juli was nearly ready to flat out leave due to the heat alone, but she had a personal obligation that she needed to fulfill. One that she really wouldn’t forgive herself for until it was taken care of.

The bright sun beaming in from the tall windows behind the altar was more than enough to light the entire room. Oddly enough, it gave the preacher in front a near glow around him as he spoke, bible in hand as he paced idly back and forth.

Although, sunlight was also just a harsh enough light to cast dark shadows in the rows of pews which made it near impossible to tell the difference from grey hair to balding heads.

Juli had to squint fairly hard to try and make out the people in the rows. Only a few had turned her way when the doors opened, but that at least made it easier for her to narrow down the crowd of listeners.

The small trickle of light that came in from the door caught their attention, but Juli was fairly certain it was the grating creak of the rusty hinges that really distracted them. Everything about this building screamed ‘ye old health-code violation’.

Even so the narrowed eyes and scrunched up faces pointed in her direction hardly bothered her. None of these people were her concern, honestly.

The young woman scrutinized their faces in the partial darkness, skimming over each one in search of the person she was  _ really _ there for.

..Which she found just a few rows away from the front, turning in his seat to glance her way with a careful gaze. There was almost a defensiveness to his posture until he locked eyes with the woman, his face shifting to one of stark confusion.

It was fair to say that Jacob was shocked to see Juli Jackson anywhere near the church she had aggressively sworn off. And during a service, of all things.

Jacob ’s brows raised in surprise, body slackening from the protective posture he had a moment ago when he saw who exactly was snooping.

The two shared an awkwardly long stare from across the room which Juli broke with a firm point in the man’s direction. And, like the asshole he was, Jacob responded by sarcastically pointing at himself.

The young woman had half a mind to tear through the pews and wring his stupid, meaty neck, but she firmly kept herself from creating a scene. Joseph had yet to notice the brunette poking her head in and she intended to keep it that way.

“You.” Juli mouthed silently with a reinforced jab of her finger before pointing to the spot in front her as she added. “Come. Here.”

Jacob wasn’t anywhere near her, but she could practically hear the scoff that so clearly left him at her demand. Like the sound  _ echoed _ off the walls to reach her. He stared her dead in the eyes with a blunt shake of his head before turning in his seat to face his brother once more.

“Jacob- Jacob- You..!!” Juli hissed out loudly, fingers angrily digging into the old wooden door as she attempted to whisper-shout at the man for his attention.

Jacob didn’t turn back around. He was flat-out ignoring her now. God, he was  _ insufferable _ .

An older woman in the back was the one to turn around to shoosh her when the brunette started making a quiet fuss. Everything associated with the Seeds was just a land of inconveniences, wasn’t it?

“Shove it up your ass, Margarite! Just listen to your weekly brainwashin’!” Juli shot back in a harsh whisper at the other, earning another look before the older woman returned to minding her own business.

It was fairly common knowledge that Juli Jackson shouldn’t be bothered at the best of times, so most people didn’t dare to challenge her at the worst.

If self-imposed guilt wasn’t honestly eating the young woman alive, she would’ve been long gone at this point. The whole church hurrah hadn’t been doing anything for her at the start but seeing how it  _ really _ was run certainly killed what little interest was there.

That and the patrons that came to such marvelous preachings to God were just about as insufferable as the men who ran the whole thing. As a whole, it didn’t seem like an attempt worth her while.

But, no. Everything just had to be a process with the goddamned Seed brothers and she just happened to  _ really _ need one of them.

Juli took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before she stepped into the church. It wasn’t easy for someone like her to swallow her pride, but if Jacob was going to make her sink that low then she was going to fucking do it.

If anything, it was out of sheer spite alone. That was more than enough to motivate her to do just about  _ anything _ .

Stepping into the dark church, she let the old wood slid from her fingers as she cautiously entered her own personal hell. Her mind so dead set on being spiteful towards the oldest Seed that it didn’t occur to her what she had done.

The sound of the door creaking back closed behind her was what made the young woman  _ immediately _ realize and regret her actions.

Juli had quickly turned to try and grab it before it slammed itself shut, but her fingers only barely caught the edge of the door as it swung back into place. It let out a bang loud enough to make Juli’s whole body cringe as connected with the wall, breaking the silence in the stuffy room.

God damn, fucking old, rickety buildings.

A couple dozen more heads turned at the noise, more angry than curious as they looked at the culprit. Joseph had even paused between verses right as the door hit the wall, stopping in his mindless pacing to turn her way.

And Juli wanted nothing more than to immediately burst into the flames under his gaze. Or to crawl under the nearest pew and never come back out. Whichever option would’ve ended her suffering quicker.

However, she instead tried to keep a straight face when her eyes met the other’s, unmoving from her spot out of stubbornness... And a bit of honest embarrassment and lack of an idea of what exactly to do.

The whole situation couldn’t be any more humiliating, could it? There was a soft chuckle she could’ve sworn she heard from the other side of the church and part of her could’ve  _ sworn _ it sounded like John.

It didn’t really matter, though, because Juli felt like her ears were burning so badly that  _ silence _ sounded loud. It only took several dozen eyes and Joseph Seed burning through her to really make her feel like the biggest idiot of Hope County.

The pause had only been a few brief seconds, but it had felt like ages had passed before Joseph returned to his text.

His face had been more passive than she had ever seen it. There hadn’t even been so much of a twitch on his face when he stared at her.

A few more heads had turned to look her way when he continued onto the next verse as if nothing happened. His voice was a bit louder as he spoke, commanding the attention of the room once more as he returned to the sermon.

It took a moment, but slowly everyone turned back to him, intently listening to his firm, reassuring words once again.

Juli was shocked Joseph didn’t make a whole scene out of the brief exchange. She had been… expecting a bigger reaction out of her stepping foot into the church.

Considering she had blatantly shot the older man down at every possible turn, she had thought he would’ve been thrilled to see her there. It had been the perfect opportunity for him to express his joy and call her out in front of all the people she had mocked.

But Joseph hadn’t even so much as smiled, let alone shown any sort of outward reaction. It was oddly underwhelming after all the fuss he had made but was fairly beneficial for her given her even stronger desire to  _ leave _ .

“I’m goin’ to wring your fuckin’ neck.” Juli hissed when she reached the pew the oldest Seed sibling was sitting in. Her head had been ducked while she slinked her way over, not wanting to draw any more unwanted attention to herself.

Jacob hardly even glanced her way when the brunette quickly plunked down into the wooden seat to blend in with the masses.

It had been particularly packed that day, so a fair number of people had seen her make an idiot of herself. There wasn’t even space on the pew for her, but she didn’t really care about that after her previous disaster.

Juli forced Jacob over a few inches with a firm shove, nearly pressing him into the person next to him to sit down. He let her do so without so much as a peep, feeling the sharp dig of her shoulder as she settled down beside him.

The older man wasn’t really religious himself, but even he stuck out far less than she did in the dimly lit church. Her fiery eyes fixed him with a pointed glared while her head ducked down further to keep out of the preacher’s line of sight.

There wasn’t a dull moment with her around, that was for sure.

“And why is that?” Jacob asked rather innocently at her threat, hardly even sparing a glance in her direction. He didn’t really need to- The older man could practically see her slouching down as far as she could out of the corner of his eye.

“You know why you piece of shit!” Juli didn’t hesitate to reel her arm back, delivering a firm whack on his shoulder despite the noise it made. “Don’t try to be fuckin’ smart with me!”

“You’re in church, you know. You should watch your language.” Jacob let out a scoff at the childishness of the action rather than the hit itself. He didn’t seem hurt or bothered by the strike which was unsurprising to her.

Jacob Seed was built like a brick house, so there wasn’t really much that could jar him.

“I wouldn’t be in here swearin’ if you had just  _ stepped outside _ , you stubborn dick.” Juli shot back at the man through her teeth. She caught a glimpse of a few sidelong glances her way, angry scowls at her continued disruption. “We need to talk. Outside.”

Part of her wondered if this supported her point of  _ not _ coming to these damn services.

The brunette was fairly certain she had caused more of a ruckus in the past few minutes than the church had seen since the Seeds set up shop. Who would  _ want _ that in their peaceful religious gatherings every week?

“Look- I’m touched that you missed me that much, but I’m obviously in the middle of something,” Jacob replied flatly with a loose gesture to the people around him while his younger brother preached powerfully from his bible.

“Oh, you  _ wish _ that were the case- I miss you just about as much as a stray misses fleas,” Juli let out a snort as she rolled her eyes at the other’s comment, nearly tempted to swat him again. “You promised to fix my Pop’s gun and I came to hold you to that offer.”

The older man’s brows raised in surprise at the mention. It had been quite a while since he made that offer and he was taken aback that she had even remembered in the first place.

“Oh, did I now?” He bluntly asked in the hope that it might annoy her a bit  _ more _ . He doubted it’d take much for the young woman to make another scene in the church... Although it was a tempting thought, he decided against pushing too far.

He knew for a fact that it wouldn’t take all too much of a push based on the look she shot him when he had responded.

“Yes, you did. So, I hope you were fuckin’ serious.” Juli repeated with a firm, warning tone and narrowed eyes. “Unless you  _ lied _ \- In which case, hell hath no fury like the one I’m going to unleash on your sorry ass if you even  _ think _ you can lie to me.”

The entire threat was nearly laughable and the older man couldn’t help from letting a hint of a smirk grace his features. Juli Jackson had plenty of gall to finally drag herself into the church in the first place, but now she was making threats and demands?

It was almost cute. Her fury likely scared many, but in the face of a man that had seen far  _ worse _ , it was an endearing act.

“Alright, don’t get yourself too worked up now. I was serious about the gun thing.” Jacob had looked at her with a smug sneer, his hand tapping her chin as he spoke with a patronizing tone. “I said I’ll fix it, so I’ll fix it. Since you asked so nicely.”

“Oh, how  _ sweet  _ of you.” Juli resisted the urge to flat out bite the other’s fingers, giving him a cynical smile in response instead. What a self-absorbed asshole. “It’s out in my car. You can come to take a look at it right now.”

Jacob had quietly glanced at the front of the room when she spoke. Joseph had returned to the altar, placing his book down as his gaze flicked over to his brother. His eyes burning into the other intensely from behind his yellow shades before sweeping over the people in the room.

“The Sermon is almost over.” The older man mused after a soft pause, hand lowering from the brunette’s chin. Juli had raised her brows like she was waiting for some sort of punchline as he leaned back in his seat.

When it didn’t come and his focus returned to Joseph, she didn’t look too happy. “...Wait- Seriously?” Juli hissed unhappily, fingers digging into the man’s arm with a firm pull of his sleeve. “You can live without sitting to the end of your shitty bible book club.”

“I’m not walking out on my brother.” Jacob’s voice had an assertive finality to it as he firmly made his choice. His loyalty to his brother seemed to fuel his  _ usual _ stubbornness which already was a pain in the ass in itself.

“Ugh. Fine. Rot here for all I care. Just as long as you come outside when it’s over.” The younger woman huffed angrily back at the man, straightening up in her seat. “I, on the other hand, am not sittin’ through another minute of this religious bullshit. So, if you’ll excuse me-”

Juli had started to push herself off the seat as she spoke. She had nearly been standing when she felt a rough palm on the back of her neck. Her whole body jumped at the sudden feeling, tensing as the hand closed around her neck.

“There’s only a few minutes left.” Jacob’s voice was still low but had an unnervingly commanding force to it that just made it seem louder. It was so firm that she didn’t even think to challenge it. “You’ll live.”

Like handling a misbehaving dog, he gripped the back of her neck like a scruff and forcefully pulled her back down into her seat. Juli was too startled to put up much resistance, stumbling back into the pew by Jacob’s hand.

The older man had shifted closer as she fell unceremoniously into the seat, arm slung over the back of the pew to keep his hand firmly on her neck.

The pressure made Juli feel  _ very _ small and somehow cornered on the end of the bench. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that it was the most claustrophobic she had ever felt in her entire  _ life _ .

“..L-Let go of me.” The brunette stuttered out after the shock of the forceful move had stemmed away. Her own hand lifted shakily to try and pull the larger hand off of her neck, but she could hardly make the other budge.

The older man’s grip had locked her head towards the front of the dark room. She could see that Joseph was still preaching loudly at the altar and she couldn’t hear a damn word he was saying. Her face was so hot she thought it might melt off.

All Juli could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat hammering away between her ears, nearly drowning out her own thoughts. She had thought the silence had been loud before, but this was somehow  _ worse _ . 

Juli felt like she was back in her yard, holding her father’s gun as the older man hovered over her shoulder. Hands resting under her jaw, fingers pressing into the soft skin of her throat.

Jacob flat out ignored her when she spoke up, his full attention on the man in front. His younger brother’s commanding words were nearly as strong as his hold on the woman. There wasn’t even an ounce of tension in his body as if he wasn’t forcing Juli in back into her seat.

“I said,  _ Let. Go. _ ” Her second warning was a bit louder when the other didn’t respond to her initial request. Her own grip tightened on what she could grad of the other’s hand, trying to pry him off. “ _ Now, Seed _ .”

That seemed to catch the other’s attention, his eyes flicking over to her as she wedged her fingers under his thumb. Her nails biting into his skin as she dug her fingers into him defiantly. Jacob felt a rise in his chest at the way she just  _ looked _ at him.

Juli looked like she wanted nothing more than to rip his throat out and that  _ thrilled  _ the older man. He had only met such a fury looking into the snarling maw of the pack that had been tailing him back in the Iraqi deserts.

Hardly any of the men currently working under him even had a fraction of that hateful passion in their eyes. It was that kind of raw emotion that they needed to help them strive for Eden... If only the young woman with it wasn’t so bullheaded on top of it all.

Although, she wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting to him if she didn’t have such a bite. “Or you’ll do what, exactly?” Jacob challenged to see if that fury was genuine, smirking at the way her face twisted and scowled. 

“Or I’ll break your  _ fuckin’ fingers _ , that’s what.” Juli spat the words out so venomously that the older man  _ knew _ she would if he gave her the opportunity. Fury certainly couldn’t get more genuine than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Humid Summer Dorms break old laptops- Did you know that?? Because I sure didn't!! I feel bad for not being able to update for ages, but my hands were tied. I need to get a new laptop because I have nothing now- Save for this laptop that my friend was kind enough to let me borrow! 
> 
> I hope the wait wasn't too bad and you guys enjoy what I was finally able to post c'': You'll be seeing a chapter outta me every two weeks <3 (possibly sooner~ ...depending on how cooperative my writing wants to be)


	9. Remember What You Owe

Juli had sank so low in her seat that most of the people heading home didn’t see her in her truck when they passed by. 

In fact, a few older women had jumped when they caught a glimpse of angry eyes just barely level with the driver’s side window of the car next to theirs. Given their age they nearly looked as though they had a heart attack at the startle, hands clutching their frilly blouses.

Most of them went about their business while one leaned closer to the vehicle to give a rudely curious peek. Their prying eyes were met with a nasty glare- One that was so strong and vicious that they immediately turned away like some angry dog had jumped up at the glass. 

The older woman hurriedly shuffled into her car, hardly casting a second glance in the beat up truck’s direction. Which was honestly a smart choice on her behalf because Juli was practically  _ seething _ and ready to nearly kill just about anyone.

And it was a wonder she hadn’t strangled Jacob Seed when she had the chance. 

Her hands clenched tightly under her crossed arms, wanting nothing more than to wring that smug bastard’s neck. It felt like the other’s hand was still on the back of her neck and she shuddered in disgust at the thought. 

The older man had handled her like she was some kind of goddamn animal and it was a wonder she didn’t react like one. 

Juli had pried away Jacob’s hand with a chilling calmness. Her nails had bit into his fingers as she wrenched them back from the soft skin of her throat. Despite not having an ounce of gentleness in the motion, he didn’t even flinch.

The man beside her passively let her tear him away, eyes keenly trained on her as if to pick her reaction apart. They trailed over her red, scowling face, stopping to linger on how her whole body had tensed under his grasp.

Jacob drank in her vulnerability and he  _ smiled _ . And that smug look made Juli nearly see red.   
  
Her own hand released his as it flew towards his neck. She wanted to drill her own fingers into his throat and squeeze until that smile disappeared. But she didn’t.   
  
She couldn’t. Not in this church, at least.

Instead, Juli went for the next best thing. Her fingers threaded between the metal chains of the dog tags around Jacob’s neck, grabbing them so tightly that her knuckles turned  _ white _ . 

When she felt the cool metal against her palm she tugged.  _ Hard. _ So hard that she could feel the burning of the chains dragging over her own skin as she jerked them towards her body. 

Jacob was involuntarily dragged along with his tags at the swift motion, catching himself just short of ramming heads with the other. His arm braced against the back of the pew, chain digging hard into his neck as the other pulled him closer.

Juli pulled him mere centimeters away from her own face, eyes locked on his as their foreheads touched. “I’ll be outside in my truck.” Jacob could feel the younger woman’s breath on his face as she hissed at him. 

Then she released the dog tags and stormed out without another word, letting the door slam behind her as she left. 

Juli could practically feel Jacob’s gaze keenly following her to the door. It was a tangible feeling that made her skin crawl and it took everything in her not to just leave then and there.

The only thing stopping her was the rifle pathetically laid out on the seat next to her. She kept her eyes locked on it as she sat seething, taking in every crack in the splintered wood to convince herself  _ not _ to leave.

Which was a decision that grew increasingly hard with the more time that passed. 

One minute bled into the next as more people filed out of the church and the young woman grew increasingly impatient. They passed by her truck in such sickeningly cheery droves to leave that she contemplated doing so herself. 

Until there was a curt knock on her window that made her tense all over again. 

Juli’s eyes flicked over with a scowl of a warning on her face only to be finally met with Jacob Seed. He looked as aloof as always and that only proved to make the brunette seethe even more in her truck. 

He sure took his damn time. 

Juli's arms tightened around herself protectively as she fixed the other with a pointed and extremely furious glare. Which was met with a look of lightly offended innocence.

“You just going to sit there and glare at me or are you going to open up?” The older man finally prompted when the other made absolutely no move to open the truck door. He shifted on his feet expectantly, his own arms crossing lightly.

When he spoke, she only lifted her hand to slam it up against the closed window in response. Her middle finger was harshly directed at the other outside and his only response to the gesture was a slight raise of his brows. 

“Hey. You asked  _ me _ to come out here.” Jacob pointed out and Juli wanted nothing more than to run him over with her truck at least two or three times.

The only force on this earth keeping this man alive was his usefulness to her in that specific moment. And it was clear that he was  _ very _ aware of that but he seemed to just love pushing his luck. Honestly, John was very quickly turning into the least insufferable Seed.

Juli sat up straight, kicking her door open. The truck door swung toward the older man and he caught it just before it knocked right into him, suddenly not looking so quaint anymore.

“Wow. Not even going to step out?” Jacob asked dryly, taking a step back to open the door all the way. Juli shot him a glare over her shoulder as she bent over the front seat to reach into the back of the truck.

“My first step outta this car is going to be my boot through your face, Seed.” The brunette warned before promptly shoving the damaged rifle in his face. If anything would shut him up, it’d hopefully be this.

And, thankfully for a moment, it did.

Jacob held up his hand to stop the gun from smacking into his face, giving Juli a brief, pointed look. Being a pain in the ass ain’t cute, is it? Juli wanted nothing more than to shoot back at the other. 

But she didn’t want to hear any more from him, so she kept her mouth shut.

Jacob took the rifle out of the other’s hands, letting go of the door to hold the rifle up carefully to survey it. The younger woman kept the door open with her foot, angrily slouching back into the seat as she watched him.

The silence that followed was nice and certainly helped Juli simmer down a bit. She was still damn near close to murdering the other, but at least now she’d wait until he’d fix her gun. 

Then she’d probably shoot the man with it for his smart mouth alone.

“Oh, this is nothing.” Jacob finally spoke up with a scoff, turning the rifle over in his hands. His calloused thumb ran over the splintered wood with a shake of his head. “You made it sound completely unsalvageable with the demanding-fit you were pitching.”   
  
“Can you  _ just _ do something for once while keepin’ your goddamn mouth  _ shut _ .” Juli snapped back thinly, sitting up more in her seat. “You’re on thin fucking ice as it is, Seed. Are you going to fix it or not?”

The man pursed his lips as he scrutinized the damage, silent as he shifted the weight in his hands thoughtfully.   
  
“Yes. I’ll fix it.” Jacob figured the straightforward response was the one the woman wanted. He had a feeling he had pushed one too many buttons at that point, anyway. “What do I get for fixing this, exactly?”

Part of him hoped it might be an offer that was worth his while, but he wasn’t going to be picky given the situation. This was another step, one that would possibly persuade the other. 

Jacob’d be a fool to let the opportunity slip even if the reward wasn’t impressive. 

That rifle meant more to Juli than she wanted to admit. Hell, that’s why she was asking for help in the first place. If he fixed that gun he’d have her all the closer to crawling into the palm of his hand.

“Me not fuckin’ clockin’ you right this second,” Juli replied with such blunt honesty that he was almost surprised she didn’t do so anyway. “And I don’t know- Think of somethin’. I’ll humor a stupid request if you make that look  _ flawless _ .”

That offer was better than the older man could’ve possibly asked for. “So, I make this thing look like it wasn’t broken and I get an IOU?” Jacob asked for clarification, enjoying the idea of such an open invitation.

“ _ If _ it looks like it just came off the goddamn shelf you get an IOU  _ at best _ .” Juli’s tone was seething, but he knew he had her honest word. A bullheaded woman like that wouldn’t go against promises.

“Alright. I can accept that.” Jacob mused simply as he shouldered the gun. He gave a thoughtful pause as he took inventory of the time he had among the many things Joseph already put him in charge of. “Give me a few weeks. Two or three tops.”

It wasn’t hard to see the relief that washed over the woman. Juli looked as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. 

A sigh close to relief slipped out of her as she reached over and heaved her door shut with a curt slam. She rolled her window down as she reached for the keys, not even uttering a word as she started up her truck. 

“Just come by with it when it’s done.” Juli clipped tone seethed with the last of her frustrations, leaning slightly out her window to give the other a jab on the shoulder. “If you do a decent job you might even get a ‘thank you’ outta me.” 

Jacob let out a snort, close to rolling his eyes at her seething comments. She really had come here solely to dump her father’s rifle on me, he mused as he watched the brunette buckle herself in.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Jacob couldn’t stop himself from asking. He knew that she was just itching to put the entirety of Hope County between her and the church. And possibly him.

“Well, since you wasted  _ a lot _ of my time, I need to rush back home and get ready in under..” Juli peeked at her dashboard clock before shooting the man a glare when she saw the time. “Three hours. I got invited to get some drinks and if I’m late it’s all on  _ your _ sorry ass.”

“Ah, the Ryes?” Now he was just being nosey, but part of him couldn’t help it. He’d be lying if his initial prying didn’t catch something of interest for him. Juli didn’t seem like the type to go out much.

An angry sigh left the younger woman. “No. Not the Ryes.” Juli snapped impatiently at the man and Jacob put on a bemused expression. 

“People other than the Ryes want to be around you?” He asked bluntly with total disregard for the other’s possible reaction. Part of the question was genuine and the other was just to get a rise out of her.

Without another word, Juli gave the other a scathing look and tore out of the church parking lot rather unceremoniously. 

That look put a smile on the older man’s face.

Jacob had taken a careful step back as she did so, hollering over the roar of the old engine as it pulled past, “See you around, Jack!”

But he wasn’t even in the back of her mind- He was further from her than the church quickly disappearing in the distance.


End file.
